Origin strengthens in SA

Origin Energy has won a South Australian Government electricity supply contract covering State and Local government sites.

Under the three-year deal, Origin will advise Local and State government sites on greenhouse emission and energy use reduction strategies, and the sites will be able to choose to purchase some of their electricity from renewable sources.

Origin, which already supplies two million gas and electricity customers over three states, is a member of REMCo, a company set up to oversee the introduction of full retail contestability in the South Australian and Western Australian gas markets.

The company is already in the WA electricity market, as a partner in a 120 megawatt gas-fired cogeneration joint venture which supplies electricity to Western Power and steam and power to the Worsley alumina refinery.

Origin, in partnership with ANZ Infra-structure Services, is also one of three remaining bidders to supply up to 260-MW of peaking power to Western Power by 2005.

The company also has upstream interests in the Bonaparte and Perth Basins.

Origin is a 50-50 partner with Arc Energy in the onshore producing Hovea oil field, and a 49 per cent partner and operator of the nearby Jingemia oil discovery, awaiting approvals to commence long-term production testing.