THE State Government has allowed for the creation thousands of jobs by giving the green light to a joint development between competing gas industries.
Minister for Mines and Energy Geoff Wilson says State Cabinet approved trials of underground coal gasification near Chinchilla and Kingaroy.
Wilson says the trials will be in joint development with coal seam gas, which will serve to benefit both the environment and the economy.
“Gas is a vital path to a cleaner energy future. It has half the emissions of coal-fired power and it’s in abundance in the Surat Basin, which is set to rival the Bowen Basin as the state’s economic powerhouse,” says Wilson.
“Two industries will benefit from our decision, but the ultimate beneficiaries will be Queensland’s environment and our economy. This will generate thousands of jobs for workers around the state.”
Coal seam gas converts into liquefied natural gas or LNG and there are currently seven LNG export projects being considered by the State Government.
“When these projects are up and running, they will inject billions of dollars into Queensland’s economy and lead to around 1750 jobs on site, and up to 4000 jobs during construction stages,” says Wilson.
Underground coal gasification is an emerging technology that has been largely untested in Australia, so the three pilot projects that will convert coal seams into synthetic gas will be monitored under strict conditions.
“They will have to meet the most stringent environmental standards,” he says.
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