COAL-FIRED POWER PLANTS – AUSTRALIA

Peter Dutton’s nuclear power plan could lead to major electricity shortages, analysis says

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Original article by Graham Readfearn
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 16-Apr-25

Modelling by Frontier Economics concluded that Australia’s remaining coal-fired power stations would need to keep operating until the Coalition’s proposed nuclear plants are built. However, the Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis contends that Frontier Economics has not taken into account the growing unreliability of coal-fired power stations as they get older. The IEEFA argues that the modelling is based on the assumption that the coal-fired plants would be able to keep operating at 72-81 per cent of their generation capacity. The IEEFA notes that the 13 coal-fired plants that have closed down since 2000 operated at just 66 per cent of their capacity in the last 10 years of their operating life.

CORPORATES
FRONTIER ECONOMICS PTY LTD, INSTITUTE FOR ENERGY ECONOMICS AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

Energy prices fall as solar gets hot

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Original article by Colin Packham
The Australian – Page: 17 : 23-Oct-23

Data from the Australian Energy Market Operator shows that the amount of electricity generated by solar power reached a record 2,287 megawatts in the September quarter. AEMO has also reported that wholesale spot electricity prices across the National Electricity Market averaged $63/MWh during the quarter, which is 71 per cent lower than the previous corresponding period. Meanwhile, coal-fired power generation fell to a record low in the September quarter, after AGL shut down the Liddell power station in late April.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET OPERATOR LIMITED

State coal power to reap $500m-plus

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Original article by Max Maddison
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 4-Jan-23

Households and small businesses will receive some $1.5bn in price relief via the federal government’s energy plan, which will cap gas and coal prices. Coal-fired power generators will in turn be entitled to compensation over the decision to cap coal prices at $125 per tonne. It has been estimated that coal-fired power stations in New South Wales could receive about $500m in compensation, with their Queensland counterparts could potentially be entitled to $750m in compensation. Independent senator David Pocock has criticised the government in the wake of revelations that mining company Rio Tinto and its partners could receive around $450m in compensation because they own the Gladstone power station.

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO

Nationals brawl over hydrogen

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Original article by Jacob Greber
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 27-Apr-22

The federal government has committed more than $1bn to the development of hydrogen hubs as part of its net-zero emissions strategy. However, National Party senator Matt Canavan says energy policy should focus on building new coal-fired power stations rather than hydrogen hubs, arguing that Australia needs a reliable energy supply now. Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has defended Canavan’s stance on coal but says that unlike Labor, the Coalition’s policies will allow the nation to have both a coal and hydrogen industry. Joyce has rejected Canavan’s call for Australia to put its net zero strategy on hold.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Coalition rebuffed over need for coal-fired power stations

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Original article by Greg Brown
The Australian – Page: 4 : 12-Apr-21

A report from the Grattan Institute has concluded that gas will play a key as Australia transitions to a net-zero emissions electricity grid. The report also cautions against shifting to complete reliance on renewables; it contends that the electricity grid can shift to 70-90 per cent renewables in the 2040s with no major impact on the affordability or reliability of the electricity system. Grattan Institute director Tony Wood adds that there is no need to build new coal-fired power stations or to refurbish existing ones to extend their operational life.

CORPORATES
GRATTAN INSTITUTE

Energy split as Lib says zero target too tough

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Original article by Greg Brown, Elias Visontay
The Australian – Page: 4 : 11-Feb-20

More than 80 countries have committed to a target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and some members of the Liberal Party’s moderate faction believe that Australia should also adopt this target. However, moderate Liberal Jason Falinski doubts that Australia could achieve this target, given that it is a major energy and agriculture exporter. Conservative Liberal senator Eric Abetz also questions the viability of a 2050 zero emissions target. There is also dissension within the Coalition’s ranks with regard to taxpayer funding for new coal-fired power stations.

CORPORATES
LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Call to include clean coal in PM power push

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Original article by Olivia Caisley, Joe Kelly
The Australian – Page: 5 : 31-Oct-19

Shine Energy CEO Ashley Dodd says the Clean Energy Finance Corporation’s mandate should be expanded to include replacing Australia’s existing coal-fired power plants with high-efficiency, low-emissions plants. The federal government will inject an additional $1bn into the CEFC, but it has specifically ruled out using the extra funding to invest in new coal-fired plants or to upgrade existing plants. National Party MP Keith Pitt supports expanding the CEFC’s mandate to embrace all energy sources.

CORPORATES
SHINE ENERGY, AUSTRALIA. CLEAN ENERGY FINANCE CORPORATION, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Older coal-fired power stations are better bet

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Original article by Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 11-Oct-19

Trevor St Baker contends that there is no ‘natural life’ for a coal-fired power station. St Baker, who was speaking at a national energy summit on 10 November, is the co-owner of the coal-fired Vale power station in New South Wales; he says keeping such stations operating for longer is better than taking a gamble on new technologies such as high-efficiency low emissions plants or carbon capture and storage. Tony Wood from the Grattan Institute told the summit that coal-fired power stations should be allowed to reach the end of their natural life.

CORPORATES
GRATTAN INSTITUTE, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY COUNCIL

PM, Nats work on coal peace plan

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, Aaron Patrick
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 7 : 25-Mar-19

The National Party performed poorly in the New South Wales election on 23 March. This appears likely to re-ignite tensions within the Coalition at the federal level over issues such as coal-fired power stations, with former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce calling for the federal government to support coal-fired power stations. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Nationals leader Michael McCormack are understood to be working on a "peace deal" over the issue.

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

PM declares peace despite ongoing coal push

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Original article by Phillip Coorey
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 14-Mar-19

National Party MP Barnaby Joyce is still advocating the use of taxpayers’ funds to build new coal-fired power stations in Queensland. However, Joyce has put his leadership ambitions on hold, declaring that Scott Morrison and Michael McCormack will lead the Coalition into the federal election. Joyce has also backed down on his claim that he is the legitimately elected deputy prime minister, describing it as a "misstep". Meanwhile, Morrison has stressed the need for Australia to have reliable and sustainable power that is "technology and resource agnostic".

CORPORATES
NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY