Kurri Kurri Lateral Pipeline, Australia

The Kurri Kurri Lateral Pipeline (KKLP) is a gas transmission and storage pipeline being developed in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

The KKLP pipeline will connect the Hunter Power Project (HPP), a 750MW gas-fired peaking power station being developed by Snowy Hydro in Kurri Kurri to the existing Sydney to Newcastle Pipeline (SNP) (formally Jemena Gas Networks).

The storage pipeline would provide up to 70 Terajoules (TJ) of gas storage to supply the HPP at maximum power output for up to 10 hours.

Australian-based leading energy infrastructure business, APA Transmission, a wholly owned subsidiary of APA Group, is the owner and operator of the pipeline.

KKLP project received approval from the NSW Government under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 in December 2022.

The total estimated capex costs of approximately A$450m ($289.3m).

APA was granted a pipeline licence under the Pipelines Act 1967 in September 2023 and the pipeline construction is planned to commence in October 2023.

The KKLP is expected to have an operational life of 30 years.

Kurri Kurri Lateral Pipeline Details

The project area is situated in the Lower Hunter region of New South Wales, encompassing the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Cessnock, Maitland and Newcastle.

The KKLP transmission pipeline will commence near Black Hill, approximately 15km northwest of Newcastle and connect to the Hunter Power Project, approximately 2km north of Kurri Kurri.

APA executed a 30-year Gas Transportation and Storage Agreement and a Development Agreement with Snowy Hydro, to commence the development of the Kurri Kurri Lateral transmission and storage pipeline to the HPP in June 2022. Snowy Hydro may extend the agreement for a further 10 years.

The KKLP received federal approval from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, and the Environment and Water under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) in April 2023.

The KKLP received the Pipeline Licence approval from the NSW Office of Energy and Climate Change under the Pipelines Act 1967 in October 2023.

The KKLP has been declared Critical State Significant Infrastructure (CSSI) under Section 5.13 of the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

Kurri Kurri Lateral Pipeline Pipeline Components

The KKLP project comprises one 21km transmission pipeline, a 24km high-pressure storage pipeline and a compressor station, delivery station, and other ancillary surface facilities.

A buried, 21km transmission with medium diameter (approximately 14-inch), and medium pressure (up to 6.9-megapascal) will deliver gas supply from the existing SNP to the HPP. The Transmission line will be fully buried with a typical depth of cover of 900mm.

The project development includes a compressor station at the end of the transmission pipeline to boost gas pressure to the required inlet pressure of the HPP.

A 24km buried steel storage pipeline with a 42-inch diameter and high-pressure storage (up to 15.3-megapascal) will be developed to hold up to 70 TJ of gas to supply the HPP at the required inlet pressure.

The JGN delivery facility is proposed to be developed near the connection of the KKLP transmission pipeline and the existing SNP pipeline.

A delivery station will be installed with equipment to control the temperature, pressure and flow rate of gas before delivery of gas from the storage pipeline to the HPP.

Jemena, the operator of the SNP pipeline will be responsible for the design, planning approvals, construction and operation of the JGN delivery facility including a 600 m short section of pipeline between the JGN delivery facility and the SNP.

The KKLP project is designed to allow gas flow back to the SNP from the storage pipeline.

Contractors Involved

Spiecapag, which specialises in constructing pipelines and associated facilities, was engaged to construct the lateral and storage pipelines for the KKLP.