Leigh Creek Energy (ASX:LCK) and Uni Hub Spencer Gulf have awarded a $20,000 scholarship to Brett Woolford, a first-year student enrolled in the Associate Degree in Engineering at CQUniversity, supported locally through Uni Hub’s Port Augusta Campus in the Upper Spencer Gulf, South Australia.
The scholarship will help pay for university tuition and allow Brett to undertake a paid internship for professional experience at Leigh Creek Energy offices in Adelaide. Brett will also be eligible for Leigh Creek’s graduate program on completion of his qualification.
The Leigh Creek Energy Project (LCEP) will be a key supplier of fertiliser to Australia’s agriculture sector and provide long-term economic development opportunities to communities of the Upper Spencer Gulf, northern Flinders Ranges, South Australia and Australia.
Leigh Creek Energy has extensively engaged the community and regions to develop a skilled workforce that will be lead key infrastructure and engineering works in South Australia. The scholarship aims to cultivate key skills that will be needed for the future development of critical works in South Australia.
Managing Director of Leigh Creek Energy, Phil Stavely said, “We are pleased to be able to award the scholarship to such a deserving candidate. Brett’s passion and ambition for engineering were made clear through his application and his drive will make him a welcome addition as an intern on the Leigh Creek Energy Project. As we move closer towards building and operating our flagship project, we want to continue to invest and create opportunities that will encourage, drive and cultivate important skills that will assist South Australia in continuing to provide key infrastructure.
Uni Hub Spencer Gulf CEO, Anita Crisp said, “We are really proud of Brett’s achievement in receiving the engineering scholarship – he is a fantastic ambassador for our region. The scholarship is a great example of how Uni Hub and industry partnerships can really help grow our own skilled workforce, right here in the region.
Winner of the scholarship, Brett Woolford said, “I am both humbled and grateful in receiving this scholarship from Leigh Creek Energy and would also like to acknowledge Uni Hub Upper Spencer Gulf for their support in the application processes.
Starting my career as a mechanic, I’ve taken a keen interest in engineering. This scholarship and opportunity to study through Uni Hub will provide a continued pathway that will offer skills and knowledge to operate at a higher level in the region’s critical infrastructure projects. Living in Stirling North, I am pleased to see such opportunities presented to residents and I will endeavour to make our local community and businesses proud upon completion”.
For more information, please contact:
Name: Joseph Watts
Phone: +61 413 244 016
Email: [email protected]
About Leigh Creek Energy
Leigh Creek Energy Limited (ASX: LCK) is developing the Leigh Creek Energy Project (LCEP) to use In-Situ Gasification (ISG) technology to produce nitrogen-based fertiliser and hydrogen products for local and international agriculture markets. The LCEP will provide long-term economic development opportunities to communities of the Upper Spencer Gulf, northern Flinders Ranges, South Australia and Australia.
During construction LCEP will be one of the biggest infrastructure projects in South Australia creating 2000+ construction jobs. Once operations start will create 1,500 direct and up to 2,800 indirect jobs for the Northern Flinders Ranges region.
The Leigh Creek Energy Project
The $2.6 billion Leigh Creek Energy Project (LCEP) is Leigh Creek Energy’s (ASX:LCK) flagship project, developing low-cost nitrogen-based fertiliser and hydrogen products for local and export agriculture markets. Located in South Australia, 550km north of Adelaide, the LCEP will initially produce 1Mtpa of urea from syngas feedstock based on 1,153PJ of 2P gas reserves.
With construction commencing in 2021 LCEP will be one of the biggest infrastructure projects of its type in Australia. It will provide long term economic development and employment opportunities for the communities of the Upper Spencer Gulf region, northern Flinders Ranges and South Australia.
It will be the only fully integrated urea production facility in Australia, with an on-site 100MW power plant and nameplate 1 million tonnes per annum urea plant, with the potential to increase to 2 million tonnes per annum.
The project has upstream operations such as sub-surface In-Situ Gasification (ISG) and downstream operations including urea manufacture and supply chain and distribution network infrastructure.
With all inputs for low carbon urea production on-site, LCEP estimates an average nominal operating cost of $109/tonne – within the lowest cost quartile of the global urea production cost curve. Pre-tax leveraged Net Present Value (NPV) is A$3.4 billion, with an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 30%.
LCEP has a comprehensive environment, social and governance strategy. It has produced demonstration syngas feedstock operating within all approved environmental parameters set by the regulator and will be carbon neutral by 2030.
About Uni Hub Spencer Gulf
Uni Hub Spencer Gulf is a not-for-profit, community-owned Regional University Study Centre facilitating locally supported university access for the community, with a strong focus on helping to meet the future workforce needs of the region.
Uni Hub operates study centres in Port Pirie and Port Augusta, which are available free of charge to any student enrolled with a tertiary provider. The centres offer quiet study spaces, high-speed internet access, computer bank, large screen and video conferencing facilities, exam centre, printing, student lounge and kitchen.
Uni Hub also works with partner universities to support local delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications to specifically meet areas of local professional and technical workforce demand.
Photo: Noreen Byrne, General Manager, People and Sustainability (left), Brett Woolford, Winner of the LCK engineering scholarship (centre), Phil Staveley, Managing Director of LCK (right).