Tasmanian Consulting Service p: 03 6424-9085 Engineering. Design. Planning. Management. Construction. f: 03 6424-5709 mail@tascon.com.au PO Box 1047; 74 Oldaker St Devonport Tasmania 7310 ABN: 40 009 579 453

Ref: 7880-w-003 DPEMP Supplementary 1.doc

Supplementary Information Central Coast Council DA.211076 Natural gas co-generation system, conversion of coal fired boilers to natural gas and a gas off-take facility To be read in conjunction with, and In addition to:

Development Proposal and Environmental Management Plan Installation and operation of a natural gas co-generation system and Conversion of two existing coal boilers to natural gas firing Simplot Australia, Mason Street, Ulverstone (Original DPEMP document number 7880-w-001; dated 22nd August 2011)

Supplementary Information DA.211076 Page: 2 of 8 Simplot Ulverstone Co-gen Project Date: 6-Sep-11

Tasmanian Consulting Service Pty Ltd Ref: 7880-w-003 DPEMP Supplementary 1.doc

S1.0 Background Tasmanian Consulting Service submitted development application DA211076 to the Central Coast Council on 23rd August 2011, for the installation and operation of a natural gas so-generation system and the conversion of two existing boilers to natural gas firing at Simplot Australia’s vegetable processing factory at Mason Street in Ulverstone. The site operations are an existing Level 2 Activity under Schedule 2 of the EMPC Act, and the application was accompanied by a formal Development Proposal and Environmental Management Plan document, prepared in accordance with project specific guidelines from EPA Tasmania. Council advised by letter dated Friday 2nd September 2011 (attached) that they require further information to enable the application to be assessed, which was further explained during a meeting between Ian Sansom (Council), David Owens (Simplot) and Simon Angilley (TCS) on Monday 5th September 2011. This document contains the information to address the issues raised:

Supplementary Information DA.211076 Page: 3 of 8 Simplot Ulverstone Co-gen Project Date: 6-Sep-11

Tasmanian Consulting Service Pty Ltd Ref: 7880-w-003 DPEMP Supplementary 1.doc

S1.1 Gas Let Down Facility Drawings: The DPEMP included:

Tas Gas Networks A3 drawing: TGN-681-CV-GA-002, Revision A (29-04-2011). This provided only a basic layout of the footings for the proposed gas let-down station equipment. Attached are following, additional drawings:

a. Tas Gas Networks: 20162-SK-004, Rev. A (30-08-2011) being a General Arrangement Plan; b. PowerCo: PT-000-350001, Rev. A (10-2003) being standard drawing of perimeter security fence; c. PowerCo: PT-663-720000, Rev. 0 (07-2004) being As-Built layout of similar control hut to the

structure proposed. Original DPEMP Description: The DPEMP also included the following description, at 2.1.1:

The gas let-down station will be installed and maintained by Tas Gas Networks, but will be located upon the Simplot site, in the south east corner opposite neighbouring property at 2 Trevor Street.

The site will be approximately 29m x 20m in plan, with an uncoated, steel chain-link wire fence to the perimeter, approximately 2.5m high, and having safety signage attached.

There will be a new, sealed vehicular access from existing carriageway in Trevor Street into the compound, with double vehicle gates which will remain normally locked, and be fitted with movement gate sensors.

There will be a single pedestrian access gate from the Simplot site to the let-down station area.

Within the area will be various items of plant and equipment used to filter, meter, heat and reduce pressures of the gas. Most of the equipment will be at waist height, between 0.9m and 1.2m above ground level. The maximum height of any equipment item will be 3.0m above ground level.

There will be a small control hut structure, approximately 4.0 x 3.0m x 3.0m high, covered in white Colorbond cladding to match existing Simplot factory scheme, which will house electrical and instrumentation equipment. The remaining equipment will generally be gun-metal grey or yellow-ochre in colour.

The let-down station will be design to minimise the emitted noise to be no more than 45dBA at the site boundary, and will not emit any odours, under normal operations.

At planned maintenance there may be some discharge when technicians will be on site. There may also be gas venting under fault conditions, which will be attended to as a priority.

There will be on-demand lighting of the let-down station compound which will enable any maintenance works that may be required outside of daylight hours. It will only be operated during such maintenance events.

Lights will be located adjacent the eastern boundary of the compound and be directed west, into the let-down station and away from the nearby houses.

Exact mounting placement and selection of the luminaire model and type will be designed to ensure light spill and glare are minimised in accordance with AS4282-1997 Control of the obtrusive effects of outdoor lighting.

That description of the gas let-down station is correct, and is unchanged. Additional Description: The gas let down station will be a gravelled yard enclosed by a chain link fence similar to the existing site perimeter fencing. The gas equipment and valving is predominantly steel construction, with a painted or galvanised finish for surface protection.

Supplementary Information DA.211076 Page: 4 of 8 Simplot Ulverstone Co-gen Project Date: 6-Sep-11

Tasmanian Consulting Service Pty Ltd Ref: 7880-w-003 DPEMP Supplementary 1.doc

The control hut will be a small building to house electrical equipment, and provide storage and an all weather location for TGN staff when they undertake their periodic equipment checks. The let-down station will be unmanned, with weekly and monthly checking by TGN taking place. The let-down station will be very similar in appearance to TGN’s Westbury gas let-down station, and photos of the Westbury installation are included below for reference.

Aerial view, Westbury Gas Let-down Station.

Side view, Westbury Gas Let-down Station Equipment.

End view, Westbury Gas Let-down Station.

Supplementary Information DA.211076 Page: 5 of 8 Simplot Ulverstone Co-gen Project Date: 6-Sep-11

Tasmanian Consulting Service Pty Ltd Ref: 7880-w-003 DPEMP Supplementary 1.doc

Detail, Westbury Gas Let-down Station Equipment.

Original DPEMP Commitments: The DPEMP also made the following commitments, specifically regarding the gas let-down station:

E: On-demand area lighting of gas let-down station to meet glare and spill limits in AS4282-1997)

S: Include acoustic lagging of valves and exposed pipework, and gas vent discharge silencers, at the gas let-down station, to ensure noise emission from the station do not exceed 65dB(A) when measured 3m from the noise source.

T: Undertake environmental noise survey of the gas let-down station when in-service after commissioning to ensure acoustic mitigation measures are sufficient.

Z: Undertake a detailed HAZOP of the gas distribution line and let-down station with Tas Gas Networks

AA: Provied Gase Safety Management Plan to the Office of Gas Safety for approval before commissioning.

II: Vehicular access to gas let-down station to be IPWEA standard driveway and crossover.

Those commitments, and the more general project commitments which include the gas let-down station (such as notification to neighbours), remain unchanged.

Supplementary Information DA.211076 Page: 6 of 8 Simplot Ulverstone Co-gen Project Date: 6-Sep-11

Tasmanian Consulting Service Pty Ltd Ref: 7880-w-003 DPEMP Supplementary 1.doc

S1.2 Existing Boilers Conversion to Natural Gas Firing Drawings: No drawings have been prepared for the boiler conversion portion of the project works. Original DPEMP Description: The DPEMP included the following description, at 2.1.2:

There are currently three coal-fired boilers used for steam generation at the Ulverstone site. They use black coal, supplied from the Fingal Valley and transported by road. Combined, the boilers consume approximately 31,000 tonnes of coal per annum.

Boilers 1 and 2 are identical, 16MW capacity. Boiler 3 is smaller, at 10MW capacity.

The boilers are adjacent one another, only a few metres apart, located within a common boiler house building. Each boiler is served by its own 23m high stack, which have a free air height of approximately 12m.

As part of the proposed development, Boilers 1 and 3 will be converted to natural gas operation.

This will involve the removal of the existing fireboxes and their replacement with new natural gas burners, with the existing induced draft fans to be replaced with forced draft fans. Existing boiler stacks will remain and be re-used.

The boilers will retain their existing capacities of 16MW and 10MW respectively. These conversion works will take place over three weeks of August 2012 during scheduled factory shutdown.

Boiler 2 will be mothballed during the conversion of boilers 1 and 3. There is no plan that it will be used again.

The conversion of the boilers is an equipment upgrade contained within the confines of the existing boiler house This is an activity exempt from requirement for a planning permit under the Central Coast Planning Scheme 2005, which allows that “a permit is not required for … (5.3.1) Maintenance and repair of buildings and works that do not involve external structural alterations; and (5.3.2) Internal alterations to a building.”

By itself, the conversion of the boilers would not require a development application under the Scheme, but would still require approval from the EPA as a change to the site operations covered by the existing EPN.

That description of the boiler conversion is correct, and remains unchanged. Additional Description: Conversion of the boiler firing system involves:

- the removal of the existing coal materials handling infrastructure from within the furnaces; including feed conveyor for delivery of the coal into the furnace, and scraper system for removal of the ash;

- lining the base and walls of the existing furnace with a refractory material; - installing new natural gas burners within the existing furnace; - removing the existing induced draft fans and replaced with sections of ducting to maintain the existing

path of air flow through the boiler; - installing new forced draft fans, which will be adapted to suit the front wall of the existing boiler furnace;

and - minor modification of the existing access platforms on the roof of the boiler house to accommodate new

NOx sampling and test ports which comply with Australian Standard AS4323.1. The existing heat exchange infrastructure, to convert water to steam, is retained and is unchanged.

Supplementary Information DA.211076 Page: 7 of 8 Simplot Ulverstone Co-gen Project Date: 6-Sep-11

Tasmanian Consulting Service Pty Ltd Ref: 7880-w-003 DPEMP Supplementary 1.doc

The boiler house structure, which contains the three existing boilers, is not altered and there is no change to the building envelope or curtilage. The boiler stacks remain, and used to exhaust the new (natural gas) combustion products. Other than cleaning, they are unchanged from their existing conditioned. The remaining coal and ash equipment, such as the ash storage hopper, will be mothballed. Original DPEMP Discussion regarding Noise: The DPEMP also included the following discussion on the noise effects from the boiler conversion, at 5.4.4:

The changes to the site’s noise emissions from the conversion of the boilers from coal fired to gas fired have not been separately modelled, in part due to the difficulty in sourcing accurate profile data for modelling.

As noted in the VIPAC report, these changes are more accurately addressed as part of the overall site model. It is expected, however, that the conversion works will result in a reduction in noise emissions from the boiler operations.

The conversion of the boilers to natural gas firing will remove the need to operate the coal and ash infrastructure, which are high maintenance systems including a number of motors, reclaim belts, and other noise sources that will be eliminated.

The conversion will also change the existing induced draft boilers to a forced draft system. Forced draft fans are typically quieter operation than induced draft fans, due to their considerably shorter shaft length, and the new forced draft fans and motors will be both smaller and newer (modern) units than the existing, dated, induced draft fans, which should result in an even greater noise reduction.

Boiler 2 will be mothballed, and the noise from its current operation will therefore be completely removed from the site’s noise profile and emissions.

That prediction of the noise effects of boiler conversion remains unchanged. Original DPEMP Commitments: The DPEMP also made the following commitments, specifically regarding the boiler conversion:

O: Provide sampling platforms and test ports to the… two converted boiler stacks, which are suitable for NOx sampling and which comply with Australian Standard AS 4323.1.

P: Undertake in-stack emission test post commissioning to the … converted boiler stacks, and compare to assumptions of the Air Quality Impact Study for study validation.

Q: Include the noise impacts of the boiler conversion from coal-fired to natural-gas fired in the full acoustic model of the entire plant (developed for the continuous improvement program to achieve the site operations’ EPN target noise emission levels.

Those commitments, and the more general project commitments which include the boiler conversion (such as notification to neighbours), remain unchanged.

Supplementary Information DA.211076 Page: 8 of 8 Simplot Ulverstone Co-gen Project Date: 6-Sep-11

Tasmanian Consulting Service Pty Ltd Ref: 7880-w-003 DPEMP Supplementary 1.doc

S1.3 Attachments a. Tas Gas Networks: 20162-SK-004, Rev. A (30-08-2011) being a General Arrangement Plan;

b. PowerCo: PT-000-350001, Rev. A (10-2003) being standard drawing of perimeter security fence;

c. PowerCo: PT-663-720000, Rev. 0 (07-2004) being As-Built layout of similar control hut to the structure

proposed.

d. Central Coast Council RFI Letter, dated Friday 2nd September 2011.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

DRAWING No. REFERENCE DRAWINGS

DESIGNDRAWN

FILE

REV DATE DRAFTING ENGINEER APPROVEDCHECKEDAPPROVED

SUPERSEDES A1

PROJECT

DESCRIPTION

ASSET OWNERS REPRESENTATIVE ASSET OWNER

REVISION

SCALEBY SIGNED

DRAWING NUMBER

DATE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

G

F

E

D

C

B

A

G

F

E

D

C

B

A

CONSULTANT:

STATUS:

D

TASGAS NETWORKS

681 - SIMPLOT METERING FACILITY

201621:50 @ A1

REVIEW

. .AGM 26.08.11

. .

. . 20162-SK-004 A

20162-SK-004 OPTION B

A 30.08.11 ISSUED FOR CLIENT REVIEW AGM - -.