WAMBO Power Ventures are proposing to build a 120 Megawatt combined cycle gas fired power station 7 klm south of Bega in an area called Frogs Hollow.

The following questions were asked of the venture about some of the impacts this propsal will have on the region.

The answers we provided by:

Sara Wilson
Community Liaison Officer
Bega Power Project

Tel: 1800 223 690
Email: begapower(at)ermgroup.com.au

Q: Exactly what are the Gases that will be vented off to the air and in what quantities (eg. Carbon Dioxide, Water Vapour, Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrious Oxide etc.)?

The proposed power station will produce an invisible exhaust plume comprising mainly carbon dioxide and water vapour. The main emissions of concern would be nitrogen oxides (NOx).

Impacts due to carbon monoxides, particulates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are expected to be negligible.

This means that compounds are being released to the air due to the operation of the power station, but they are in such small quantities they will not affect the overall air quality.  

Health Risk Assessments are currently being completed as part of the Environmental Assessment Report for Bega. In  reports done for similar gas-fired power stations, emissions were not found to be harmful to human health.

The analysis of the air emissions will be available in the Environmental Assessment Review. The proposed power station will produce around 5 tonnes per annum of sulphur dioxide emissions which compares to around 15,000 tonnes from a comparable coal-fired power station.

Q: Where will the water come from to service the Power Station and what quantities will be consumed?

The amount of water is dependent on whether the power station is water cooled or air cooled, and this is yet to be decided.

If it is water cooled, approximately 1 gigalitre of water per year is required, and this will come, via a new water pipe being constructed by Bega Valley Shire Council, from Yellowpinch Dam, near Merimbula.

Q: Where exactly will the Liquid Petroleum Gas Pipe Line run from, and what will be its course?

The gas used to fire the power station is natural gas, not liquid petroleum.

The gas will be sourced from the Eastern Gas Pipeline, one of three pipelines supplying New South Wales.

Gas produced in the Bass Strait is piped from Longford in Victoria to Sydney, via Bombala, Cooma and Hoskinstown.

At this stage the pipeline route has yet to be finalised, but it will either be from the Eastern Gas Pipeline at Bombala to Bega (approx. 65kms), or from the Eastern Gas Pipeline at Nimmitabel to Bega (approx. 75 kms). A decision on this is expected in February.