Community gains:
- A billion dollar investment in the Mid West
- At least 600 constructions jobs
- 100 permanent jobs - locally housed
- Reliable and competitive power supply for the Mid West and the SWIS
- Unlock potential of Mid West region
Aviva Corporation Ltd is progressing the development of a 2x200mw baseload power station in the Mid West region of Western Australia.
The development of a coal mine north of Perth to supply energy to iron ore projects in the Mid West region was identified as a priority by the Department of Industry and Resources "Energy for Minerals Study" tabled in 2005.
The deposit has the potential to produce the lowest cost fuel for power generation in the State, and will play a major role in unlocking the economical potential of the Mid West.
Development of the Coolimba Project will facilitate an injection of a billion dollars in the region and this will require support of a skilled workforce from the local towns and regional centres.
Preliminary estimates suggest that the Coolimba Power Project will create 600 construction jobs, and bring 100 permanent jobs to the region. It is generally assumed indirect and flow-on benefits from projects of this nature will help create as many as three times more jobs within the local communities in the longer term.
The Project will be established as a residential operation, which means permanent employees are housed in the local towns. This will help support local communities, and in particular support the retention of social services and facilities within local shires such as schools, nursing posts and sporting facilities. It will also help encourage the expansion of local commerce for retail, services and light industrial activities, all of which will provide multiple benefits to the local community.
The Project is based on an existing mine site which means it will have minimal impact on native flora and fauna in the area. The entire Project area is encompassed by a mining lease and freehold title and is currently being used for either agricultural or mining purposes.
A key benefit of the Project will be reliable delivery of competitive power to the Mid West region. With increased production capacity and improved transmission infrastructure, the Project will reduce transmission losses and lower the impact of network fluctuations.
The Project will also have wider reaching benefits. By using coal to generate base load power, it will also release natural gas for applications in housing, peak power generation and industrial uses. This will alleviate the shortage of available domestic gas in WA brought about by world demand and prices.
The most direct beneficiary though will be the Mid West region itself, which is poised for substantial growth. In fact, the Mid West Development Commission has identified $6.5 billion in new resource projects that are under consideration or development in the Mid West region.
The WA State Government has committed significant infrastructure funding to the Mid West, which will help drive further growth in the region. This includes $250m on the Geraldton Port and its access corridors, and $90m on a 132kV power line to Eneabba.
The Coolimba Power Project will make direct use of this infrastructure and will encourage other companies to use the assets of the region.