Focus on the NT
Lidiar Group’s Arthur Dimitropoulos has been running the rule over the Northern Territory’s governmental strategies promoting investment in key industry sectors to support the transformation and diversity of the region’s economy into a $40bn powerhouse by 2030.
“In referencing publications sponsored by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade, the Department of Infrastructure, Planning & Logistics in particular, and the Land Development Corporation, It is clearly an exciting time to be in the Territory. The breadth and range of major project investments across a wide array of industries are well considered, building on the potential we Territorians have to develop mineral resources, Oil and Gas, renewable energy assets, defence capital, maritime, transport and logistics infrastructure and utilities which will further enhance connections and livability in the top-end.”
“The NT and Commonwealth Government have consulted widely on the development of plans that will lead to projects that I am most interested in seeing develop from business case to delivery which reflect the diversity and potential that sets up our exciting future.”
Resilient in operating in challenging conditions and environments, and experienced in being engaged on large, multi-billion-dollar mass infrastructure projects in more populated and established commercial and industrial centres internationally and throughout Australia, Arthur’s motivation to mobilise back to the Northern Territory was driven by a desire to offer well-proven project delivery discipline to a sparsely populated community contending with skills shortages, a market size lacking the economies of scale of other jurisdictions, arduous regional connectivity constraints and in some parts, rudimentary access to land and water.
Here are some of the key projects that are of the most interest to Arthur as the Territory, Federal Governments and Industry work together to deliver projects that will support long-term economic growth throughout the Northern Territory.
Resources and Energy Projects
Beetaloo Basin
When the Northern Territory government announced recently that it had implemented all the recommendations for an independent inquiry into fracking, it’s an exciting time for gas industry stakeholders (notably Santos, Tamboran Resources and Empire Energy) as they mobilise plans to commence large-scale production from the Beetaloo Basin, which will no doubt precipitate numerous project opportunities as gas is brought to market. Lidiar will be seeking to support proponents involved in developing enabling infrastructure throughout the vast and remote area, along with the inevitable augmenting of existing pipeline configurations that traverse within the basin, along with the construction and commissioning of new assets.
Core Lithium – Finiss Lithium Project
As the world shifts towards a cleaner, low-carbon future, Lithium has a vital role to play. It is a lightweight metal with the highest electrochemical potential of all the elements, making it an important component in batteries for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage systems.
Located in the Bynoe Pegmatite Field – and covering over 500 square kilometres of granted tenements, the project represents one of the highest-grade lithium resources in Australia and is the only fully-permitted lithium project outside Western Australia. Its proximity – 88 kilometres’ trucking distance by sealed road to Darwin Port – is another highly positive factor behind the development.
LNG in Darwin
With the INPEX –Ichthys liquefied natural gas (LNG) onshore processing facility at Bladin Point fully operating for several years now, attention is being focused on the Darwin LNG Life Extension Project led by Santos, which will see the Darwin LNG plant at Wickham Point prepared to accommodate a new source of gas from the offshore Barossa field, some 300km north of Darwin. Santos is also eyeing future modifications of the Wickham Point facilities as part of their Bayi-Undan Carbon Capture & Storage project.
This/these project(s) show(s) the ongoing potential of resource extraction and the importance it can play in the Territory’s future but also highlights the importance of well-planned projects that can extend to the life of critical assets (i.e. Darwin LNG), as the current source of gas from the Bayu-Undan field approaches its end of life.
Aqua Aerem – Desert Bloom Hydrogen
This project is of significant interest around the world as it is a world-first commercial scale renewable hydrogen project that will produce green hydrogen for the domestic and export markets at globally competitive commercial rates when in full operation. Green hydrogen is particularly exciting as it does not require fossil fuel inputs in production. Instead, the Desert Bloom project is powered by off-grid solar and portable 2MW Hydrogen Production Units (HPUs) that generate water, heat, electricity, and up to 410,000 metric tonnes of hydrogen per annum.
This means that Desert Bloom overcomes the water supply problem that has been cited as a major restriction on global renewable hydrogen production. With an agreement reached with one of Japan’s largest gas buyers and distributors, it will be exciting to see a world-first project take shape that will potentially unlock the power of hydrogen long into the future and see the NT accommodate new and augment existing infrastructure to realise efficient supply chains for the most direct delivery to customer demand centres, locally and into Asia.
Rum Jungle Rehab
If we utilise land for resources, it is only fair that we rehabilitate sites that are no longer in use. The Territory’s Rum Jungle Rehabilitation Project is an excellent example of considered resource site rehabilitation. The Rum Jungle Rehabilitation project is a 15-year commitment that started in 2009 and will lead to major impediments being removed that have halted the transfer of the land to the Kungarakan and Warai peoples.
Stage 3 of the project will see Major components of the rehabilitation plan delivered, including deconstruction of the existing waste rock dumps, installation of a waste rock dump footprint cover system, management of contaminated water and soils, main pit backfilling and reinstatement of the East Branch of the Finniss River, construction of new waste rock storage facilities, and groundwater and surface water treatment as well as ecological rehabilitation and revegetation.
As the project is currently in the ECI phase, with three experienced proponents promoting innovative rehabilitation designs and methodologies to the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade, , it is exciting to see this program of works take shape to restore the environmental condition onsite and downstream of the mine and to create stable landforms to support future land use.
Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct
Already hosting the LNG export hub (INPEX and Santos led Darwin LNG), a new whole of government initiative will ultimately host a low emission renewable hydrogen, carbon capture & storage and mineral processing zone.
Defence and Marine Projects
RAAF Base Tindal, Bradshaw and Delamere
As we invest in our sovereign defence capabilities, it is great to see investment in the Territory’s defence infrastructure. RAAF Base Tindal is part of a chain of airfields stretching across northern Australia from Learmonth in Western Australia to Townsville in northern Queensland and, since its development in 1942, has become one of the nation’s most important defence facilities. A $1.1 billion program of works at the RAAF Base Tindal, Bradshaw Field Training Area and Delamere Air Weapons Range has commenced as part of the Australian Government’s $8 billion in planned spending on Northern Territory Defence facilities under Developing Northern Australia initiatives.
Ship Lift Facility (Darwin)
With Darwin strategically positioned in the Asia Pacific region, this key piece of maritime infrastructure will be designed, constructed, and commissioned to meet the requirements of the commercial maritime sector, the Australian Border Force and Department of Defence. This (common user facility) project will serve as the impetus for the enhancement of far wider maritime infrastructure in what will eventually be a maritime hub in the Middle Arm peninsula.
Marine Industry Park
Complementing the Ship Lift Facility, the Marine Industry Park will see facilities developed to support marine and offshore industries by way of marine maintenance, servicing, engineering, fabrications, and logistics. It will become the only major vessel serving point between Perth and Cairns, leveraging off Darwin deep harbour and over 100 hectares of waterfront industrial land.
Utilities Projects
Darwin-Katherine Electricity System Plan
As a critical deliverable under the Territory’s renewable energy target, the Darwin-Katherine electricity system plan is being developed to assist in the transformation of the power system into a grid for the future with the target of 50% renewable energy by 2030 (the RET), and towards zero net emissions by 2050.
A key feature of the System Plan is a (Darwin) Renewable Energy Hub seeing investment in large scale solar, battery storage, renewable (hydrogen ready) generators and other emerging technologies, such as Virtual Power Pants, placed and coordinated within a shared location (i.e hub) close to existing transmission lines (anticipated close to Weddell Power Station).
Lidiar foresees sponsors of this transformative infrastructure plan requiring significant local support in terms of coordinating feasibility studies, evaluations, design management, planning and implementation.
Darwin region water supply infrastructure upgrades – Adelaide River Off-Stream Water Storage (AROWS)
Demand for water is increasing in line with the Territory’s growth as urban, industrial and agricultural developments increase pressure on our utility networks. The Darwin region water supply infrastructure upgrades will comprise a series of projects, including– a modest upgrade to the Manton Dam, which will provide 7300 megalitres a year of water into the Darwin region water supply system, a new, larger and more complex Adelaide River Off-stream Water Storage (AROWS) (project), water supply scheme yielding of around 60,000 megalitres along with all associated water treatment plant upgrades, pumping and pipeline infrastructure Importantly,, any new dam infrastructure as part of the AROWS development will not impede on Adelaide River flows.
With water security a vital issue, this investment is essential to the Territory’s development.
Community Projects
Darwin City Stadium
It’s fair to say that Territorians love all football codes.
So, it is very exciting to see AFL Northern Territory planning to develop and construct a new multi-purpose Darwin City Stadium. The centrepiece of the new community and entertainment precinct in Darwin, the stadium will elevate the Northern Territory’s position as a world-class business, education and tourism destination by hosting and broadcasting major events across Australia and southern Asia.