Australia's QPM to focus on gas, cut Tech battery spend
Australian battery metals refiner Queensland Pacific Metals (QPM) will focus on energy markets via its Moranbah gas project (MGP) and limit further expenditure on its Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub (Tech) project.
The firm will switch its prioritisation to its wholly-owned QPM Energy (QPME) business, with QPME's chief executive David Wrench to be appointed as QPM chief executive, the company said on 22 April.
MGP's coal mine waste gas output from nearby the coal mining hub of Moranbah in Queensland's Bowen basin will be increased to 35 TJ/d (935,000 m³/d) by late 2024, up from October-December 2023's 28 TJ/d, with QPME to accelerate production and reserves to provide required peaking power for the national electricity market (NEM) via Thai-controlled energy firm Ratch Australia's 242MW Townsville Power Station.
QPME aims to drill a further seven wells by the year's end, increase workovers and increase production from third-party supply of waste mine gas from regional coal mines.
The company is also seeking to develop a portfolio of plants to supply up to 300MW of gas-fired power to the NEM, while compressed natural gas and micro-LNG facilities will also be developed in Townsville and Moranbah, QPME said.
A surge in government support for renewable power generation in order to meet Australia's 2030 emissions target by retiring coal-fired power means more gas-peaking plants will likely be needed in the coming years to support variable generators. But Australia's domestic gas supply is forecast to experience shortfalls this decade, with predictions of a 76 PJ/yr gap in 2028.
The Tech project which aims to produce 16,000 t/yr of nickel and 1,750 t/yr of cobalt sulphates from imported laterite ore saw its funding significantly reduced in February because of what QPM described as a "challenging investment environment" resulting from depressed nickel prices.
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Overprotectionism harmful for EU stainless: Marcegaglia
Overprotectionism harmful for EU stainless: Marcegaglia
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Malawi Kanyika Nb mine development granted extension
Malawi Kanyika Nb mine development granted extension
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SE Asian power grid phase 2 to double traded capacity
SE Asian power grid phase 2 to double traded capacity
Singapore, 20 September (Argus) — The Lao PDR-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore power integration project (LTMS-PIP) will be enhanced under its second phase to double the capacity of electricity traded, Singapore's Energy Market Authority (EMA) announced today. The second phase of the LTMS-PIP will double the amount of electricity traded from 100MW to a maximum of 200MW. The LTMS-PIP was launched in June 2022 , with the project connecting up to 100MW of renewable power supply from Laos to Singapore. The EMA did not disclose details on timelines for the second phase. The expansion of the capacity of electricity traded will be done by introducing multi-directional power trade, under which Malaysia will provide additional supply, said the EMA. This will also boost the development of the Asean power grid to better meet southeast Asia's growing energy demand, said the EMA. Enhancing multilateral and multidirectional electricity trading in the region will strengthen grid resilience and promote energy integration, it added. The EMA has granted an extension to Singapore conglomerate Keppel's electricity import licence for another two years, to support this next phase of the LTMS-PIP. Keppel will be able to import electricity from Malaysia, in addition to Laos . By Prethika Nair Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
India's Smiore to boost Mn capacity in Karnataka
India's Smiore to boost Mn capacity in Karnataka
Mumbai, 20 September (Argus) — India's Sandur Manganese and Iron Ore (Smiore) has received approval from the environment ministry to increase its manganese ore capacity in Bellary, Karnataka state. After securing approval from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) under the Air and Water Act, Smiore plans to raise its manganese ore production capacity from 430,000 t/yr to 550,000 t/yr. This will pave the way for higher ferro-manganese and silico-manganese production in the near future. But the company did not provide a timeframe for the project. Argus assessed that prices for 60pc grade silico-manganese stood at 66,000-67,000 rupees/t, while prices for 70pc grade ferro-manganese were around Rs69,000-71,000/t ex-works on 19 September. The demand for alloy from domestic steel mills remains limited because of lower buying interest in steel products. The company operates two mines with estimated reserves of about 17mn t of manganese ore and 117mn t of iron ore. Smiore sold about 9,396t of ferro-alloy in the April-June quarter, up by 35pc from a year earlier. By Deepika Singh Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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