Construction has commenced on the Pluto Train 2 project, a key milestone supporting jobs and economic growth in Western Australia.
The Deputy Premier of Western Australia, the Hon. Roger Cook MLA, officially launched construction on the project at a ceremony in Karratha today.
Pluto Train 2 will be the second liquefied natural gas train at Woodside Energy’s existing Pluto LNG onshore facility and will process gas from the Scarborough development. The construction site for Pluto Train 2 is within the existing Pluto LNG boundary.
The Pluto Train 2 project will deliver significant economic benefits for Western Australia. Woodside, as operator of Pluto Train 2 and Scarborough, has made commitments to the Western Australian Government in its community development plans to support positive and sustainable community outcomes in the Pilbara region.
Bechtel will execute the engineering, procurement, and construction of Pluto Train 2, which will have an LNG capacity of approximately 5 million tonnes per annum. To continue to support Australia’s domestic market, additional domestic gas infrastructure will be installed with capacity of about 225 terajoules per day, equivalent to keeping the lights on for a year in about 10,000 households.
Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill said the start of construction on Pluto Train 2 was a key milestone towards the delivery of the Scarborough project, which will provide significant long-term economic growth and local employment opportunities for Western Australia and supply domestic and export markets for decades to come.
“Woodside is proud to build on the economic contribution that it has made over 35 years to communities in Western Australia. Many opportunities will be realised in Western Australia, providing a boost to long-term investment in education and training, growing jobs and bringing work through the supply chain. Scarborough gas processed through an expanded and efficient Pluto facility will support the decarbonisation goals of our customers in Asia,” O'Neill said.
The Pluto Train 2 project will employ about 2,000 people at peak in 2024, with a large contingent of employees expected to be drawn from within Western Australia. Bechtel has already engaged a number of local and Indigenous businesses to support delivery, with more awards anticipated as the project progresses.
Bechtel Energy President Paul Marsden said Bechtel was pleased to start work on such an important project for the Asia-Pacific region.
“We are proud to do our part to invest in local communities and improve the quality of life where we work by creating jobs and opportunities, while also bringing greater energy security for the region,” Marsden said.
Bechtel has commenced site preparation, including office, crib hut, and other facility installation. Initial earthworks and activities in the laydown and storage areas will start up before the end of 2022.
