Qenos Pty Ltd 17 May 2012 Section 75W Modification Request Qenos Alkatuff Plant Hydrogen Trailer Unloading Bay AECOM Hydrogen Trailer Unloading Bay Section 75W Modification Request Section 75W Modification Request Qenos Alkatuff Plant Hydrogen Trailer Unloading Bay Prepared for Qenos Pty Ltd Prepared by AECOM Australia Pty Ltd Level 21, 420 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000, PO Box Q410, QVB Post Office NSW 1230, Australia T +61 2 8934 0000 F +61 2 8934 0001 www.aecom.com ABN 20 093 846 925 17 May 2012 AECOM in Australia and New Zealand is certified to the latest version of ISO9001 and ISO14001. © AECOM Australia Pty Ltd (AECOM). All rights reserved. AECOM has prepared this document for the sole use of the Client and for a specific purpose, each as expressly stated in the document. No other party should rely on this document without the prior written consent of AECOM. AECOM undertakes no duty, nor accepts any responsibility, to any third party who may rely upon or use this document. This document has been prepared based on the Client’s description of its requirements and AECOM’s experience, having regard to assumptions that AECOM can reasonably be expected to make in accordance with sound professional principles. AECOM may also have relied upon information provided by the Client and other third parties to prepare this document, some of which may not have been verified. Subject to the above conditions, this document may be transmitted, reproduced or disseminated only in its entirety. 17 May 2012 AECOM Hydrogen Trailer Unloading Bay Section 75W Modification Request Quality Information Document Section 75W Modification Request Ref 60265666 Date 17 May 2012 Prepared by Claire Vahtra, Benjamin Hardaker Reviewed by Scott Jeffries Revision History Authorised Revision Revision Date Details Name/Position Signature A 11-May-2012 Draft for Client Review Scott Jeffries Associate Director - Environment B 17-May-2012 Final Scott Jeffries Associate Director - Environment 17 May 2012 AECOM Hydrogen Trailer Unloading Bay Section 75W Modification Request Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction 1 1.1 Overview 1 1.1.1 Project Background 1 1.2 Planning Approvals History 1 1.2.1 Development Consent DA 2181 – Construction and Operation of a Linear Low Density Polyethylene Plant (Alkatuff Plant) 2 1.2.2 Development Application No. 35/97 - Upgrade of the Alkatuff Plant 2 1.2.3 Development Consent DA 30/98 - Botany Industrial Park Subdivision 3 2.0 Site Description 4 3.0 Proposed Modification 8 3.1 Need for and Scope of the Modification Request 8 3.2 Conditions Requiring Modification 8 4.0 Statutory Planning Context 10 4.1 Section 75W Modification 10 4.2 Environmental Planning Instruments 10 4.2.1 State Environmental Planning Policy (Major Development) 2005 10 4.2.2 State Environmental Planning Policy No. 55 – Remediation of Land 11 4.2.3 State Environmental Planning Policy No. 33 – Hazardous and Offensive Development 11 5.0 Environmental Assessment 12 5.1 Hazards and Risk 12 5.2 Traffic and Transport 15 5.2.1 Existing Environment 15 5.2.2 Potential Impacts 15 5.3 Stormwater Management and Quality 16 5.3.1 Existing Environment 16 5.3.2 Potential Impacts 16 5.4 Soil and Groundwater 17 5.4.1 Existing Environment 17 5.4.2 Potential Impacts 19 5.5 Air Quality 19 5.5.1 Existing Environment 19 5.5.2 Potential Impacts 19 5.6 Noise and Vibration 20 5.6.1 Existing Environment 20 5.6.2 Potential Impacts 20 5.7 Waste Management 21 5.7.1 Existing Environment 21 5.7.2 Potential Impacts 22 5.8 Biodiversity 22 5.8.1 Existing Environment 22 5.8.2 Potential Impacts 23 5.9 Visual Amenity 23 5.9.1 Existing Environment 23 5.9.2 Potential Impacts 23 5.10 Heritage 24 5.10.1 Existing Environment 24 5.10.2 Potential Impacts 24 6.0 Conclusion 25 7.0 References 26 Appendix A Hydrogen Trailer Bay Preliminary Hazard Assessment A Appendix B Flora and Fauna Desktop Searches B 17 May 2012 AECOM Hydrogen Trailer Unloading Bay Section 75W Modification Request Appendix C Heritage Desktop Searches C List of Plates Plate 1 Northern perspective of Second Street 4 Plate 2 Existing hexene truck turning circle 4 Plate 3 Proposed location of trailer bay (front) 4 Plate 4 Proposed location of trailer bay (rear) 4 List of Tables Table 1 Land Use surrounding the Qenos site 5 Table 2 Proposed Conditions of Consent to be Modified (DA 35/97) 9 Table 3 Proposed Conditions of Consent to be Modified (DA 2181) 9 Table 4 Modes of failure and consequences associated with the proposed works. 13 Table 5 Flame lengths and durations from hydrogen hose and connection holes 14 Table 6 Qenos Alkatuff Traffic Movements for the years 2001-2010 15 Table 7 Summary of current solid and non-aqueous wastes generated at the Qenos facility 21 Table 8 Landscape units and visual features 23 List of Figures Figure 1 Site Location 6 Figure 2 Site Layout 7 Figure 3 Botany Sand Beds Aquifer Groundwater Exclusion Zone (NSW Office of Water) 18 17 May 2012 AECOM Hydrogen Trailer Unloading Bay 1 Section 75W Modification Request 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Overview AECOM Australia Pty Ltd (AECOM) has prepared this Section 75W Modification Request for amendments to development consent DA 2181 (original Alkatuff Plant) and development consent DA 35/97 (upgrade of the Alkatuff Plant) on behalf of Qenos Pty Ltd (Qenos). The Modification Request relates to the construction and operation of a hydrogen trailer unloading bay at Qenos’ existing Alkatuff Plant in the Botany Industrial Park (BIP), Matraville, in the Botany Bay local government area. The proposed unloading bay is proposed in response to a forecast change in the supplier of hydrogen, a raw material required for the manufacture of Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) at the Alkatuff Plant. The purpose of this Section 75W Modification Request is to describe and assess the potential construction and operational impacts of the proposed hydrogen trailer unloading bay. It outlines the potential impacts on the environment and identifies suitable mitigation measures, if required, to avoid or minimise potential environmental impacts as a result of the construction and operations of the proposed works. 1.1.1 Project Background Qenos is the sole manufacturer and supplier of polyethylene products in Australia, with operations at the BIP in Sydney, NSW and Altona, Victoria. Qenos’ operations at the BIP comprise three principal manufacturing plants: - Olefines Botany: produces approximately 250,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of ethylene for Qenos’ two polyethylene plants also located within the BIP, as well as for domestic and international distribution; - Alkatuff Botany: produces over 120,000 tpa of polyethylene products (LLDPE and HDPE) for use in many applications including stretch wrapping, food packaging and rotational moulded products including water tanks; and - Alkathene Botany: produces approximately 70,000 tpa of low density polyethylene (LDPE), a moisture proof, flexible, transparent, heat sealable, hygienic and recyclable product. LDPE is used for the manufacture of plastic bags, film, moulded plastic products and linings for milk and juice cartons (Qenos, 2012). Hydrogen is a raw material used in the polyethylene manufacturing process at the Alkatuff plant to control the molecular weight and product properties of polyethylene by direct injection to the reactor cycle gas loop. Qenos currently sources hydrogen via Air Liquide, who currently utilises a hydrogen trailer unloading bay adjacent to Qenos’ Olefines plant. Air Liquide’s hydrogen supplies are primarily sourced from the crude oil refinery process at the Shell Refinery at Clyde, NSW as well as supplementary supplies from the Solvay Interox Pty Ltd (Solvay) hydrogen peroxide production facility in Banksmeadow, NSW. With the proposed redevelopment of the Shell Refinery to a finished product terminal only, the anticipated reduction in the capability of Air Liquide to continue to supply polymer grade hydrogen at existing quantities has prompted Qenos to prepare its operations at the Alkatuff plant to receive hydrogen from Coregas, an alternative bulk hydrogen supplier, who operates a steam reformer plant in Port Kembla, NSW. The introduction of an alternative hydrogen supplier has resulted in proposed construction and operation of a new hydrogen trailer unloading bay within the Alkatuff site to streamline manufacturing of polyethylene products. 1.2 Planning Approvals History Three key development consents have been granted and currently regulate the Alkatuff Plant and the use of the land on which it is located: - Development consent DA 2181 in relation to the construction and operation of the original Alkatuff Plant; - Development consent DA 35/97 in relation to the upgrade of the Alkatuff Plant and the subsequent modification; and - Development consent DA 30/98 in relation to the subdivision of the Botany Industrial Park (BIP), in which the Alkatuff Plant is located. 17 May 2012 AECOM Hydrogen Trailer Unloading Bay 2 Section 75W Modification Request 1.2.1 Development Consent DA 2181 – Construction and Operation of a Linear Low Density Polyethylene Plant (Alkatuff Plant) On 5 February 1990, the then Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning granted development consent under the then section 101 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 for the construction and operation of a LLDPE plant (Alkatuff Plant) at Lot ,1 DP608153 (now Lot 10, DP 1039919), 10-20 Beauchamp Road, Hillsdale (DA 2181). The approval, granted to ICI Australia Operations Pty Ltd, allowed for the construction and subsequent operation of the LLDPE plant, and the installation of associated infrastructure required for the manufacturing process at a capital cost of approximately $105 million, including: - Storage tanks for raw materials; - A catalyst storage area; - An additive storage building; - The main processing area, comprising a reactor and pelleting facility; - A warehouse containing a product packaging facility; - Bulk storage silos for storage of product; - Raw material and product loading/unloading bays; - An amenities block; - An administration and workshop building; - A laboratory and control room; - A wastewater treatment plant; - A stormwater separation system; and - Two electrical substations.