- Tellus lodges its “Response to Submissions Report”
- Sixteen submissions received
- All other approvals, licences and permits will now be submitted for approval
Sandy Ridge regulatory approval progress update
Tellus is pleased to have completed another major regulatory milestone towards the approval of the proposed Sandy Ridge project. Tellus has lodged its “Response to Submissions Report” and is now preparing and lodging all other approvals, licences and permits required to start construction and operations.
Sixteen submissions were received by the WA Office of the Environmental Protection Authority (“OEPA”) in response to the twelve-week Public Environmental Review (“PER”) public exhibition period. Twelve were received from WA Decision Making Authorities (“DMA”); two from Non-Government Organsiations and two from public members.
This work will support the Submissions Report which will undergo a statutory four week DMA review from the receipt of the Submissions Report.
Over the next few months the following approvals, licences and permits will be submitted to Government for approval.
- An updated Mining Proposal
- A Works Approval
- A Development Application to the local Shire Council
- A Water Abstraction licence
- A Radiation permit.
About Tellus Holdings:
Tellus Holdings Ltd (“Tellus”) is an infrastructure development company in the business of creating economic, social and environmental value from waste, clay and salt resources. This dual revenue model involves mining the commodities kaolin clay and rock salt in thick dry remote beds which creates world’s best practice geological repositories. The voids created by mining are then used to store equipment, archives or waste using a multi- barrier system as part of an overall safety case. Tellus plans to permanently isolate hazardous waste using environmentally sound management (ESM) principles that protect the environment and human health. Tellus also supports the circular economy using long-term storage by placing like-with-like materials for operational safety reasons and to create opportunities for the future recovery of valuable materials. Tellus’ business model mirrors international solutions operating in the UK, Europe and North America. Tellus is developing the proposed Sandy Ridge facility in Western Australia (WA) and the proposed Chandler facility in the Northern Territory (NT) which has been awarded Major Project Status by the NT Government.
For further information:
Visit: www.tellusholdings.com.au or contact:
Duncan van der Merwe
Managing Director
Tel: +61 (0)2 8257 3395
Cameron Morse
FTI Consulting (Media)
Tel: +61 (0)8 9485 8888
Chandler regulatory approval progress update
- Six-week public review period for the Chandler Draft EIS is now complete
- Consultations have been held with government and public stakeholders in Canberra, Darwin, Alice Springs and Titjikala
- As part of the formal process a supplement report is currently being prepared
Tellus is pleased to have completed a regulatory milestone towards the approval of the proposed Chandler project. The six-week Draft Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”) public exhibition period has now concluded and as part of the formal process a supplement report is currently being prepared.
The six-week public Draft EIS review period has now closed.
Chandler Draft EIS meetings have been held with government and public stakeholders in Canberra, Darwin, Alice Springs and Titjikala.
As part of the formal environmental impact assessment (“EIA”) process, the regulatory authorities and the public have had the opportunity to review the proposal’s EIS and the proposal’s environmental, social and economic benefits and impacts and submit comments.
The EIA process requires the project proponent to provide a response to the submissions.
Tellus will continue to liaise with DMAs, other key government, and public stakeholders during this process.
“We are very excited to meet another milestone in the approval process and thank all stakeholders for their interest in the project. We are committed to increasing local participation throughout the next phase of the project as feasibility studies and the approval process continues,” Tellus’ Managing Director, Duncan van der Merwe said.
About Tellus Holdings:
Tellus Holdings Ltd (“Tellus”) is an infrastructure development company in the business of creating economic, social and environmental value from waste, clay and salt resources. This dual revenue model involves mining the commodities kaolin clay and rock salt in thick dry remote beds which creates world’s best practice geological repositories. The voids created by mining are then used to store equipment, archives or waste using a multi-barrier system as part of an overall safety case. Tellus plans to permanently isolate hazardous waste using environmentally sound management (ESM) principles that protect the environment and human health. Tellus also supports the circular economy using long-term storage by placing like-with-like materials for operational safety reasons and to create opportunities for the future recovery of valuable materials. Tellus’ business model mirrors international solutions operating in the UK, Europe and North America. Tellus is developing the proposed Sandy Ridge facility in Western Australia (WA) and the proposed Chandler facility in the Northern Territory (NT) which has been awarded Major Project Status by the NT Government.
For further information:
Visit: www.tellusholdings.com.au or contact:
Duncan van der Merwe
Managing Director
Tel: +61 (0)2 8257 3395
Cameron Morse
FTI Consulting (Media)
Tel: +61 (0)8 9485 8888
Sandy Ridge regulatory approval progress update
- Twelve-week public review period for the Sandy Ridge Draft PER is now complete
- Consultations have been held with government and public stakeholders in Canberra, Perth, Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie and Southern Cross
- As part of the formal process a submissions report is currently being prepared
- WA Depart. of Mines & Petroleum grants General Purpose Lease for a 21-year term
Tellus is pleased to have completed several regulatory milestones towards the approval of the proposed Sandy Ridge project. The twelve-week Public Environmental Review (“PER”) public exhibition period has now concluded and as part of the formal process a submissions report is currently being prepared. The WA Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) has granted Tellus a General Purpose Lease G16/21 for a 21 year term for the proposed Sandy Ridge Facility.
The twelve-week public Draft PER review period has now closed.
Sandy Ridge PER meetings have been held with government and public stakeholders in Canberra, Perth, Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie and Southern Cross.
As part of the formal environmental impact assessment (“EIA”) process, the Decision Making Authorities (“DMA’s”) and the public have had the opportunity to review the PER and the proposal’s environmental, social and economic benefits and impacts and submit comments.
The EIA process requires the project proponent to provide a response to the submissions.
Tellus will continue to liaise with DMAs, other key government, and public stakeholders during this process.
The WA Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) has granted Tellus a General Purpose Lease G16/21 (“GPL”) for a 21 year term for the proposed Sandy Ridge Facility. The GPL enables associated license applications to be submitted for assessment and will assist in scheduling early works at the site subject to final investment decision and final project approval by the WA Office of the Environmental Protection Authority (“OEPA”) and the Australian Government’s Department of Environment and Energy (“DoEE”).
“We are very excited to meet further milestones in the approval process and thank all stakeholders for their interest in the project. We are committed to increasing local participation throughout the next phase of the project as feasibility studies and the approval process continues,” Tellus’ Managing Director, Duncan van der Merwe said.
About Tellus Holdings:
Tellus Holdings Ltd (“Tellus”) is an infrastructure development company in the business of creating economic, social and environmental value from waste, clay and salt resources. This dual revenue model involves mining the commodities kaolin clay and rock salt in thick dry remote beds which creates world’s best practice geological repositories. The voids created by mining are then used to store equipment, archives or waste using a multi-barrier system as part of an overall safety case. Tellus plans to permanently isolate hazardous waste using environmentally sound management (ESM) principles that protect the environment and human health. Tellus also supports the circular economy using long-term storage by placing like-with-like materials for operational safety reasons and to create opportunities for the future recovery of valuable materials. Tellus’ business model mirrors international solutions operating in the UK, Europe and North America. Tellus is developing the proposed Sandy Ridge facility in Western Australia (WA) and the proposed Chandler facility in the Northern Territory (NT) which has been awarded Major Project Status by the NT Government.
For further information:
Visit: www.tellusholdings.com.au or contact:
Duncan van der Merwe
Managing Director
Tel: +61 (0)2 8257 3395
Cameron Morse
FTI Consulting (Media)
Tel: +61 (0)8 9485 8888
GIC involved in three successful Tellus funding rounds totalling A$37M
- GIC provided advisor and lead manager role for AU$22.4 M capital raising over 2013 and 2015
- GIC was co-manager for AU$15.0 M capital raising during 2016
Tellus Holdings Ltd “Tellus” is pleased to present three funding tombstones to Grid Investment Capital (Singapore) (“GIC”) commemorating its contribution to Tellus as the financial advisor and lead manager for a total of AU$22.4 million’s worth of capital raisings over 2013 and 2015, and as the co-manager for a AU$15.0 million capital raising during 2016.
The presentation was made by Tellus Group Managing Director, Duncan van der Merwe to Grid Investment Capital CEO, Brad Ridge.
Commenting on the presentation Duncan van der Merwe said, “We have been delighted with the successful capital raising outcomes and strategic guidance GIC has provided to the company during our long association. We are particularly grateful to Brad for his highly professional skillset and advice over the course of our relationship. His expertise and experience have proven an invaluable asset to Tellus’ development, and the Company is very pleased to count many of GIC’s associates as valued shareholders.”
GIC was engaged by Tellus on three separate occasions over the past four years to lead, and more recently co-manage, private placements for the company to fund its dual revenue business model. Mr. Ridge also retains an ongoing advisory role to the Tellus Board.
“We were fortunate to have met Tellus at an early stage of its development, and have enjoyed our collaboration as both capital managers and shareholders over a long period. Duncan and his exceptional management and operational team continue to deliver outstanding value to all stakeholders, with 2017 destined as a landmark year for the company’s progress as a unique infrastructure developer and operator,” GIC CEO Brad Ridge said.
About Tellus Holdings:
Tellus Holdings Ltd is an infrastructure project development company with a proposed dual revenue business model. This involves mining the commodities salt and kaolin and backfilling the voids left from mining with equipment, archives or long term temporary storage of waste. Tellus plans to store like-with-like materials, so as to create opportunities for the future long term, temporary storage, treatment and recovery of valuable materials or permanent isolation of waste. Tellus’ business model mirrors world’s best practice solutions operating in the UK, Europe, USA and Canada. Tellus is developing the Chandler salt mine project in the Northern Territory (NT) and the Sandy Ridge kaolin mine project in Western Australia. Tellus’ flagship ‘Chandler Project’ was awarded Major Project Status by the Northern Territory Government.
For further information:
Visit: www.tellusholdings.com.au or contact:
Duncan van der Merwe
Managing Director
Tel: +61 (0)2 8257 3395
Cameron Morse
FTI Consulting (Media)
Tel: +61 (0)8 9485 8888
Commencement of BFS for Sandy Ridge and New Project Video
- Tellus kicks off Sandy Ridge BFS with lead ECI contractors Clough and Kerman
- BFS key findings expected by July and final report by September 2017 in time for rapid implementation of the Sandy Ridge development
- New Sandy Ridge project video released showing the kaolin mine and storage operations
- Sandy Ridge project to be listed on ICN Gateway
Tellus Holdings Ltd (‘Tellus’) is pleased to announce the formal commencement of a Bankable Feasibility Study (‘BFS’) to Front End Loading Three (FEL 3) Stage at its 100% owned Sandy Ridge Project in Western Australia.
Bankable Feasibility Study
“Today’s announcement marks a further step towards final investment decision and the commencement of construction and operations at Sandy Ridge. The BFS will be led by Tellus and Onyx Projects in conjunction with Clough and Kerman on an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) basis. The BFS key findings are expected by July and the final report by September 2017, which ties in with our expected approvals followed by the rapid implementation of the Sandy Ridge development,” Tellus Managing Director, Duncan van der Merwe said.
The other main BFS contributors are Mining Plus and Toll. See below for additional information about these companies.
Project Video
To support Sandy Ridge’s continued stakeholder engagement, Tellus has released a project video which provides an artist’s impression of the development and proposed dual use kaolin mine and storage operations. The video can be accessed from the Tellus webpage; www.tellusholdings.com.au.
BFS Project contributors
Clough works with some of the world’s largest companies to engineer, construct, commission and maintain critical facilities for oil and gas, metals and minerals, and infrastructure sectors. Clough’s full project lifecycle delivery model reduces risk and optimises safety, productivity and cost across every phase of a project. Backed by an experienced leadership team, talented people and sophisticated project management systems, Clough is committed to safety, sustainable development and the wellbeing of the people, communities and environments .Clough is a wholly owned subsidiary of Murray & Roberts, South Africa’s leading engineering and construction services company, with 17,000 employees, a presence on five continents and in FY2016 had a revenue of approximately A$ 2.5 billion.
Established in 1981, Kerman is one of the most experienced design and construction firms in Western Australia. Specialising in non-process infrastructure, processing plants, bulk storage and materials handling facilities, industrial facilities and accommodation villages. Kerman’s point of difference is their ability to leverage over 30 years of design, engineering, construction experience and knowledge to provide cost effective, innovative design and construction solutions for the benefit of their clients.
Onyx Projects is a project management and engineering company tailored to meet the demands of the Australian resources and infrastructure sectors. Its four directors have a combined experience of more than 100 years delivering greenfield and brownfield projects in mining and minerals processing, iron and steel, petrochemicals, oil refining, chemicals, manufacturing and water treatment facilities. Services range from standalone engineering and design packages, to the completion of complex, multi discipline projects through the study phases to final handover. Formed in 2007, Onyx has developed a strong reputation for delivering value and responding quickly to the needs of its clients.
Consisting of consultants specialising in mining engineering and geoscience, Mining Plus has grown to become a significant industry player led by an experienced leadership team since its establishment in 2006. An international consulting firm with offices spanning across Australia, Canada and Peru, Mining Plus operates on a global scale applying a combination of technical expertise and practical experience to your exploration and mining projects, whilst providing detailed, accurate and timely studies and services to support strategic and operational needs.
Toll Group is the Asia Pacific region’s leading provider of logistics services, employing approximately 40,000 people across 1,200 locations in more than 50 countries. In 2016 Toll’s vision is to provide an unrivalled set of global supply chain capabilities to our customers, building on 128 years of connecting people to products.
About Tellus Holdings:
Tellus Holdings Ltd is an infrastructure project development company with a proposed dual revenue business model. This involves mining the commodities salt and kaolin and backfilling the voids left from mining with equipment, archives or long term temporary storage of waste. Tellus plans to store like-with-like materials, so as to create opportunities for the future long term, temporary storage, treatment and recovery of valuable materials or permanent isolation of waste. Tellus’ business model mirrors world’s best practice solutions operating in the UK, Europe, USA and Canada. Tellus is developing the Chandler salt mine project in the Northern Territory (NT) and the Sandy Ridge kaolin mine project in Western Australia. Tellus’ flagship ‘Chandler Project’ was awarded Major Project Status by the Northern Territory Government.
For further information:
Visit: www.tellusholdings.com.au or contact for Sandy Ridge BFS related contractor issues:
Mike Ingram
Acting COO and Sandy Ridge Project Director
Tel: +61 (0)2 8257 3395
Chandler Project Community Information Sessions
- Tellus to host five community information sessions in Alice Springs and Titjikala
Tellus Holdings Ltd (’Tellus’) will host five public information sessions in Alice Springs and Titjikala in February and March 2017 for the Chandler Project.
The events will provide the forum to inform the public about Tellus’ proposal to develop the innovative Chandler Facility with its underground salt mine business and its complementary storage, recovery and permanent isolation business.
The community information sessions will be held at the following venues and times:
ALICE SPRINGS
Monday, 27th February 2017
Central Australian Development Office
55 Todd Mall (opposite Adelaide House)
3.00 PM – 5.30 PM
ALICE SPRINGS
Tuesday, 28th February 2017
Central Australian Development Office
55 Todd Mall (opposite Adelaide House)
11.00 AM – 5.00 PM
ALICE SPRINGS
Wednesday 1st March
Central Australian Development Office
55 Todd Mall (opposite Adelaide House)
3.00 PM – 6.00 PM
TITJIKALA
Thursday 2nd March
Venue to be confirmed
11.00 AM – 4.00 PM
ALICE SPRINGS
Saturday 25th March
Central Australian Development Office
55 Todd Mall (opposite Adelaide House)
2.00 PM – 6.00 PM
Representatives of Tellus will be in attendance to provide information about the proposed Chandler Project and the government assessment process. The sessions will outline the key environmental factors associated with the project and how the community can provide feedback.
About Tellus Holdings:
Tellus Holdings Ltd (“Tellus”) is an infrastructure development company in the business of creating economic, social and environmental value from waste, clay and salt resources. This dual revenue model involves mining the commodities kaolin clay and rock salt in thick dry remote beds which creates world’s best practice geological repositories. The voids created by mining are then used to store equipment, archives or waste using a multi barrier system as part of an overall safety case. Tellus plansto permanently isolate hazardous waste using environmentally sound management (ESM) principlesthat protect the environment and human health. Tellus also supports the circular economy using long term storage by placing like-with-like materials for operational safety reasons and to create opportunities for the future recovery of valuable materials. Tellus’ business model mirrors international solutions operating in the UK, Europe and North America. Tellusis developing theproposed SandyRidge facility in Western Australia (WA) and the proposed Chandlerfacility in the Northern Territory (NT) which has been awarded Major Project Status by theNT Government
For further information:
Visit: www.tellusholdings.com.au or contact:
Duncan van der Merwe
Managing Director
Tel: +61 (0)2 8257 3395
Tellus Releases Chandler EIS for Public Review
- Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) document is now available for review by the public
- A six-week public consultation and feedback process has commenced
- The full EIS document is available on the NT EPA and Tellus Holdings websites
- Public submissions can be made via the Northern Territory Environmental Protection Authority
Tellus Holdings Ltd (’Tellus’) is pleased to announce that the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) document for its proposed Chandler Facility has been reviewed for adequacy and released for public review by the Northern Territory Environmental Protection Authority (NT EPA). A six-week public consultation and feedback process commences on the 18th February and finishes on the 31st March, 2017. Submissions can be made to the NT EPA.
The Proposed Chandler Facility is located approximately 120 kilometres south of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.
Tellus’ proposal to develop a dual revenue business involves an underground rock salt mine and the use of the mine voids for the safe and secure storage of equipment and archives and the storage, recovery of valuable materials and the permanent isolation of mostly hazardous waste. We will be using environmentally sound management (ESM) principles that protect the environment and human health.
An EIS has been prepared by Tellus in accordance with the Northern Territory Government’s procedures and has now been released for public review. The EIS document describes the proposal, examines the likely environmental effects and the proposed environmental management procedures associated with the proposed development.
The EIS is an important part of the environmental assessment process and the public review period is an opportunity for interested parties to review and comment on the proposal. Once the public review period has closed, Tellus will prepare a response to the public submissions, which will be considered by the NT EPA as it prepares its Assessment Report and recommendations on the project to the Minister for Environment.
The draft EIS is available for public review and comment from 18th February 2017 to the 31st March 2017.
Copies of the EIS document may be viewed and downloaded from the NT EPA webpage www.nt.gov.au/envirocomment or from the Tellus webpage www.tellusholdings.com.au
Submissions regarding the Proposal can be emailed to eia.ntepa@nt.gov.au or posted to:
Environmental Assessments, NT Environment Protection Authority, GPO Box 3675, Darwin NT 0801
Further project information is provided in Attachment A
About Tellus Holdings:
Tellus Holdings Ltd (“Tellus”) is an infrastructure development company in the business of creating economic, social and environmental value from waste, clay and salt resources. This dual revenue model involves mining the commodities kaolin clay and rock salt in thick dry remote beds which creates world’s best practice geological repositories. The voids created by mining are then used to store equipment, archives or waste using a multi barrier system as part of an overall safety case. Tellus plansto permanently isolate hazardous waste using environmentally sound management (ESM) principlesthat protect the environment and human health. Tellus also supports the circular economy using long term storage by placing like-with-like materials for operational safety reasons and to create opportunities for the future recovery of valuable materials. Tellus’ business model mirrors international solutions operating in the UK, Europe and North America. Tellusis developing theproposed SandyRidge facility in Western Australia (WA) and the proposed Chandlerfacility in the Northern Territory (NT) which has been awarded Major Project Status by theNT Government.
For further information:
Visit: www.tellusholdings.com.au or contact:
Duncan van der Merwe
Managing Director
Tel: +61 (0)2 8257 3395
Tellus announces successful capital raise to accelerate Sandy Ridge
- A successful A$15 million equity capital raising pushes Tellus’ market cap over A$100 M
- Tellus’ shareholder base strengthened with leading domestic institutional investors
- Company is now well funded and is preparing for the development stage of Sandy Ridge
Tellus Holdings Ltd (“Tellus”) is pleased to announce a successful equity capital raise of A$15 million at $0.75 per ordinary share. The capital raising was strongly supported by existing shareholders and introduced a range of new leading domestic institutional investors to Tellus’ register. The proceeds of the raising will be primarily used to advance the development of the 100% owned Sandy Ridge project in Western Australia.
“We are very pleased with the solid support of existing shareholders and we are also delighted to welcome new sophisticated high net worth and leading Australian institutional investors on to the register. This has strengthened our balance sheet and is a significant step forward in the execution of our strategy to grow our business,” Tellus Managing Director, Duncan van der Merwe said.
Tellus investors have recognised early the financial opportunities of Tellus’ assets and growth strategy, and also the importance of being part of the solution in providing much needed critical infrastructure involved in cleaning up the environment in Australia and also providing long term social and economic benefits to indigenous and local communities where we operate.
This successful capital raising has laid the foundation for the future with strong interest already received from leading institutional and infrastructure investment groups across Australasia to assist in the full development funding (debt and equity) for Sandy Ridge targeted for 2017 and for the future development of the Chandler project.
RBC Capital Markets acted as Financial Advisor and Lead Manager for the raising. Grid Investment Capital (Singapore) and Azure Capital (Perth) acted as co-managers. The Company’s share register manager Boardroom Pty Ltd has been instructed to allot the shares.
About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada (RY on TSX and NYSE) and its subsidiaries operate under the master brand name RBC*. RBC are one of Canada's largest banks and one of the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalisation. RBC are one of North America's leading diversified financial services companies, and provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management, insurance, investor services and capital markets products and services on a global basis. RBC have over 80,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 16 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 37 other countries. * http://www.rbc.com/aboutus/index.html
About Grid Investment Capital
Based out of Singapore, Grid Investment Capital operates as Principal Investor holding a range of private/public equity interests globally. Along with its own investment profile, Grid Investment Capital boasts investment partnership relationships with a wide range of global institutional investors including hedge funds, private equity managers, specialist money managers, trading houses, banks, brokerages, family offices, and sophisticated investors. These relationships enable Grid investment Capital the ability to introduce third party investment opportunities on a bespoke basis to select capital partners with specialist interests across the region.
About Azure Capital
Azure Capital is a leading corporate advisory firm based in Perth, Western Australia. Established in 2004, Azure provides a range of advisory services, including in relation to mergers & acquisitions (M&A), capital markets and financing transactions. Azure also raises growth capital for earlier-stage clients through a strong network of relationships with local, national and international investors and intermediaries. Azure has the largest dedicated team of corporate finance professionals in the Western Australian market, and the senior team has extensive experience across a wide range of industries, transaction types and sizes.
About Tellus Holdings
Tellus Holdings Ltd ("Tellus") is an infrastructure development company in the business of creating economic, social and environmental value from waste, salt and clay resources. This dual revenue model involves mining the commodities salt and kaolin and backfilling the voids left from mining with equipment, archives or long term storage of waste. Tellus plans to store like-with-like materials, so as to create opportunities for the future long-term, storage, treatment and recovery of valuable materials or the permanent isolation of waste. Tellus supports releasing valuable materials back into the circular economy. Tellus’ business model mirrors world’s best practice solutions operating in the UK, Europe and North America. Tellusis developing the Chandler project in the Northern Territory (NT) and the Sandy Ridge project in Western Australia (WA). Tellus' 'Chandler Project' has been awarded Major Project Status by the NT Government.
For further information:
Visit: www.tellusholdings.com.au or contact:Duncan van der Merwe, Managing Director, Tel: +61 (0)2 8257 3395
Cameron Morse, FTI Consulting (Media), Tel: +61 (0)8 9485 8888
TELLUS RELEASES SANDY RIDGE PER FOR PUBLIC REVIEW
- Public Environment Review (PER) document is now available for review by the public
- A 12-week public consultation and feedback process has commenced
- The full PER document is available on Tellus Holdings web site
- Public submissions can be made via the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority
Tellus Holdings Ltd (’Tellus’) is pleased to announce that the Public environmental Review (PER) document for its proposed Sandy Ridge Facility has been approved for release by the Western Australian Office of the Environmental Protection Authority (OEPA). A 12-week public consultation and feedback process commences today and finishes on the 7th March, 2017. Submissions can be made to the OEPA.
The Proposed Sandy Ridge Project is located approximately 75 kilometres north-east of Koolyanobbing in Western Australia.
Tellus’ proposal to develop a dual revenue business that involves a kaolin open cut mine and the use the resultant mine voids for the secure storage, potential recovery and/or permanent isolation of mostly hazardous and intractable chemical waste and a small volume of low level radioactive waste like smoke detectors and medical isotopes in a geological repository.
A PER has been prepared by Tellus in accordance with the Western Australian Government procedures and is released for public review. The PER document describes the proposal, examines the likely environmental effects and the proposed environmental management procedures associated with the proposed development. Fig 1: Sandy Ridge PER
The PER is an important part of the environmental assessment process and the public review period is an opportunity for interested parties to review and comment on the proposal.
Once the public review period has closed, Tellus will prepare a response to the public submissions, which will be considered by the OEPA as it prepares its report and recommendations on the project to the Minister for Environment.
The PER is available for public review comment from 12th December 2016 to the 7th March 2017.
Copies of the PER document can be downloaded from www.tellusholdings.com.au Submissions regarding the Proposal can be made via https://consultation.epa.wa.gov.au
Further project information is provided in Attachment A.
About Tellus Holdings:
Tellus Holdings Ltd ("Tellus") is an infrastructure development company in the business of creating economic, social and environmental value from waste, clay and salt resources. This dual revenue model involves mining the commodities kaolin clay and rock salt in thick dry remote beds which creates world’s best practice geological repositories. The voids created by mining are then used to store equipment, archives or waste using a multi barrier system as part of an overall safety case. Tellus plansto permanently isolate hazardous waste using environmentally sound management (ESM) principlesthat protect the environment and human health. Tellus also supports the circular economy using long term storage by placing like-with-like materials for operational safety reasons and to create opportunities for the future recovery of valuable materials. Tellus’ business model mirrors international solutions operating in the UK, Europe and North America. Tellusis developing theproposed SandyRidge facility in Western Australia (WA) and the proposed Chandlerfacility in the Northern Territory (NT) which has been awarded Major Project Status by theNT Government.
For further information:
Visit: www.tellusholdings.com.au or contact:
Duncan van der Merwe, Managing Director, Tel: +61 (0)2 8257 3395
Media:
Cameron Morse, FTI Consulting, Tel: +61 (0)8 9485 8888
ATTACHMENT A
Project development activities completed to date
Tellus has commenced detailed project development activities in accordance with a structured project
development framework. These activities include technical and scientific site studies, environmental and
regulatory approval applications, and feasibility studies that support the PER.
Technical and scientific site studies
The PER has been prepared to address key environmental factors and objectives set by the OEPA. Tellus has
completed a number of technical and scientific site studies that support the PER, for example:
- A justification for the proposal
- Potential benefits of the proposal
- Geology and mineral resource assessments
- Results of detailed Level 1&2 flora & fauna surveys
- Soil assessment, clay cap characterisation, land form evolution modelling over thousands of years
- Groundwater and surface water studies
- Infiltration and seepage modelling
- Human health assessment and management
- Cultural heritage surveys
- A summary of environmental management measures.
Feasibility studies
- Scoping Study (FEL 1) – 2014
- Pre-Feasibility Study (FEL 2) – 2015
- Interim Bankable Feasibility Study (FEL 2.5) – 2016.
Geotechnical and engineering surveys
- JORC inferred mineral resource estimate of 41 million tonnes kaolinised granite, with an inferred ceramic grade resource of 7.9 million tonnes of kaolinised granite1
- Bulk sampling and kaolin process pilot plant operation (35 t pilot in Perth produced 9 t of saleable product)2
- Market development trials (resulted in signed agreement with AMR-HK based kaolin trading house)3
- Geotechnical and mine planning drilling and sampling (265 holes, 7,938m)4
- Site topographical survey and digital aerial photography
- Waste solidification and stabilisation testwork (successful German trials).
Independent peer reviews
Tellus used a number of independent subject matter experts to complete a formal independent value engineering step5 and an independent safety case peer review6 step of the Facility.
The value engineering (VE) exercise was done by UGL Limited, with support from GHD and other industry experts covering mining, logistics, process design, construction and operations. Ten organisations provided 3,000 hours of independent input over four months for Tellus two connected projects.
Tellus also commissioned the UK-based Eden consulting company if the design, operation and closure system of the proposed Sandy Ridge Facility is sound and meets a best practice design that can protect the environment
and human health. On the basis of knowledge of other disposal facilities for the disposal of difficult to manage hazardous waste and low level radioactive waste (LLW) worldwide, Eden concluded that:
- the design of the Sandy Ridge Facility is excellent
- the proposed multi-barrier system offers very good prospects of excellent long-term performance that can protect the environment and human health
- the long-term performance outcomes are comparable or better than the performance of many other LLW disposal facilities in other countries
- the sound design is facilitated by the favorable hydrological and hydrogeological environment.
Community consultation
Tellus has engaged openly with stakeholders about its proposed Sandy Ridge proposal. Key stakeholders were offered the opportunity to provide feedback and raise issues during the development of the draft Environmental Scoping Document and draft PER.
- Tellus has completed extensive briefings of individuals and groups within Federal, State and Local Government Departments and Authorities and the main political parties
- Tellus has also consulted with non-government organisations, industry and business, landholders, traditional owners and potential customers.
- Tellus has also completed numerous briefings and consultations with local stakeholders and residents of the surrounding communities of Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie and Southern Cross. The latest briefings in Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie were in November 2016.
- Further public consultations are planned in Southern Cross in December 2016 and again in Perth, Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie and Southern Cross in February, 2017.
The focus of the consultation to date has been to explain the main outcomes of the detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) done for the proposal and to obtain feedback on key environmental and social benefits or concerns associated with the proposed project.
Managing Director of Tellus Mr Duncan van der Merwe commented “Tellus is a unique dual revenue business that is assisting in providing much needed infrastructure that can assist in cleaning up Australia of hazardous waste and at the same time create long term, green, sustainable, well paid jobs covering technical (engineering, chemistry, science), commercial (sales, business) and operational skills. We are looking at investing over $61 million in regional Australia that will assist in diversifying the economy and with a policy of hiring and buying locally we also create hundreds of millions of dollars of business opportunities.
What is the problem Tellus is trying to solve, the current situation and the Tellus solution
The problem that Tellus’ proposed project is trying to solve is that Australia is one of the highest emitters of hazardous waste on a per capita basis. Australia’s large 900-million-ton legacy waste stockpile is increasing every year as does the risk profile and on top of that volume we also produce approximately 5.5 million tonnes per annum of new hazardous waste that is also growing in complexity and volume in line with population growth and increased industrialisation. There is a lack of sufficient infrastructure at a cost-effective price point that can deal with this volume and that can permanently solve this problem. Many producers resort to storing their waste in temporary solutions on site or with third parties that create increased risk, or they send their waste overseas as Australia has limited solutions.
The current situation is that the regulators and the community recognize that medium to high hazardous waste should be permanently isolated from the biosphere to remove the risk and protect the environment and people and where possible, valuable materials should be recovered and pushed back into the circular economy. Tellus has developed a solution that solves the “protect” verse “recover dilemma”.
Tellus can store, recover or permanently isolate waste in a geological repository that is simple to use, cost effective and applies global best practice solutions.
What is a geological repository?
A geological repository is an underground storage or disposal facility of hazardous waste that relies on a thick, flat, dry, geologically stable and extensive natural geological barrier (clay bed) and man-made engineered barriers that form part of a multibarrier system as part of an overall safety case that are globally recognised for permanent isolation capabilities.
Tellus plans to permanently isolate hazardous and intractable waste that is generated due to our industrialized and modern lifestyle using environmentally sound management (ESM) principles that protect the environment and human health. Tellus also supports the circular economy using long term storage by placing like-with-like waste resource for operational safety reasons and to create opportunities for the future recovery of valuable materials at a proposed technology park on site. Tellus’ business model mirrors international solutions operating in the UK, Europe and North America.
What is the difference between a well-engineered landfill and a geological repository?
The key difference between a well-engineered landfill and a geological repository is that a landfill only has manmade engineered barriers typically comprising an artificial or thin clay liner approximately 1.5m or less, that usually can only isolate hazardous waste for 10- 30 years before degradation of the liner creates a potential contamination risk (pollution plume). Whereas a geological repository with its engineered and natural barrier (best barrier of them all) is passively safe on a geological timescale. As a result, internationally, regulators are restricting landfill development and their use for most hazardous waste types and are moving towards
geological repositories that can permanently isolate the waste and protect the environment and people’s health.
What are the waste types accepted at Sandy Ridge?
Most industry sectors and households generate hazardous and intractable waste. For example:
- Agriculture, forestry & fishing sector- Pesticides, acid and alkaline chemicals and contaminated soil
- Construction sector –commercial and industrial building materials contaminated with waste like asbestos
- Government sector – Federal, State and Local Government responsibilities– e.g. Emergency Services for man-made disaster management like waste recovered from vehicle, train, ship and aeroplane accidents or natural disaster management like waste recovered from fires, floods, cyclones
- Healthcare sector – Medical isotopes, pharmaceuticals
- Manufacturing sector (chemicals) – Inorganic chemicals, acid and alkalines, organic solvents
- Manufacturing sector (heavy industry) – Plating and heat treatment, PCB’s, acids, and alkalines, heavy metals, organic solvents
- Mining & processing sector – Acids, alkalines, Organic chemicals (arsenic and cyanide from gold industry), inorganic chemicals like spent pot liner from the aluminium industry)
- Media, telecoms & technology sector – E-waste, lead batteries
- Oil and gas sector – NORM scale, hydrocarbon sludges, mercury
- Utilities – electricity and gas supply, water sector – Inorganic chemicals
- Utilities – waste management sector (including household haz. waste) – Paints, resins, inks
- Scientific & technical services sector – Contaminated cupels, legacy chemistries, sealed source LLR.
Almost everything in nature has some small amount of natural radioactivity and processing concentrates it. At Sandy Ridge the acceptance criteria identify NORM up to Low level radioactive waste (LLW) activity content and other LLW such as medical isotopes, smoke detectors, sealed gauges as suitable for storage and disposal in accordance with the safety case. For planning purposes Tellus is assuming that LLW will account for <1% of the volume of waste received.
What are the waste types NOT accepted at Sandy Ridge?
Chemical wastes which are gases, highly corrosive, highly oxidising, infectious or uncertified will not be accepted under any circumstances. Wastes which are liquids or sludges, explosive, flammable liquids or solids, selfcombusting, generate a gas-air mixture which is toxic or explosive, biodegradable, tyres, could release free liquid or react with the host geology will not normally be accepted unless they can be stabilised, solidified or modified in such a way that they will not affect the operational or post closure safety of the facilities.
“Nuclear waste storage or disposal services would not be provided at the proposed Sandy Ridge Facility. Nuclear material is already prohibited from being transported into and stored within Western Australia by the Nuclear Waste Storage and Transportation (Prohibition) Act 1999. The proposed Sandy Ridge Facility has not been nominated as a potential National Radioactive Waste Management Facility. No such nomination is planned and no such nomination would be accepted should it be made by any other party,” the PER document states.
Key characteristics of the project
- The project life for planning purposes is 25 years, however the project life could be multi-generational
- A capacity up to 40,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of refined kaolin could be used for the ceramic, paint, stabilisation/ solidification clay markets
- A capacity up to 100,000 tpa of waste storage, recovery or permanent isolation is being applied for
- Approximately 90 jobs would be created during the construction phase of Sandy Ridge, and approximately 23 direct and 46 indirect (2x multiplier) during the operation phase,
- The Project will also provide training, employment and business opportunities for local and Aboriginal people during construction and operation
- Pending the receipt of regulatory approvals and finance, Tellus hopes to commence construction during the
second half of 2017 and fully operational during the second half of 2018.
2016 Tellus AGM Results
Tellus Holdings Ltd is pleased to advise the results of its 2016 Annual General Meeting held today.
The two resolutions were passed unanimously by show of hands. The resolutions presented for shareholder consideration and the proxies received in respect of the resolution are set out in the attached schedule.
Yours sincerely
Tellus Holdings Ltd
Jonathan Fisher
Company Secretary
Tellus Holdings Ltd, Proxy Summary
Annual General Meeting, Thursday 24 November 2016
Resolution 1: Election of Mr. Christopher Berkefeld as a Director
The instructions given to the validly appointed proxies in respect of the resolution were as follows:
For Against Proxy’s discretion Abstain Excluded
22,120,683 Nil 4,726,704 Nil Nil
Resolution 2: Election of Dr Nicole Williams as a Director
The instructions given to the validly appointed proxies in respect of the resolution were as follows:
For Against Proxy’s discretion Abstain Excluded
21,750,683 Nil 4,726,704 370,000 Nil