Origin Pulls Out Of Hunter Hydrogen Hub Project

 BY IAN CROUCH

 Orica says it remains open to holding discussions with interested parties to progress the Hunter Hydrogen Hub after Origin Energy announced it's walking away from the project.

The energy giant sited the slow pace of development for commercial hydrogen as the reason from withdrawing from $207 million joint project at Kooragang Island.

A spokeswoman for Energy Minister, Chris Bowen said the decision is disappointing for workers and businesses involved in developing the hub.

In a statement, Shadow Energy Minister Ted O'Brien said Origin's decision to walk away from the project is a blow to the government's renewable energy goals and puts Australia's energy security in jeopardy. 

 

The future of the Hunter Hydrogen Hub is in doubt after Origin pulled out of the project

Crews Tackle Fire At Kooragang Island Silo

 BY IAN CROUCH

More than a dozen people have been evacuated after a fire broke out at one of the silos on Kooragang Island on Wednesday morning.

Crews arrived at 6.30am to find a fire in a conveyor belt on the lower level of a silo containing a cement product.

18 workers were safely evacuated, while one worker was treated for smoke inhalation.

Crews took about an hour to extinguish the fire which is believed to have started in a bearing on the conveyor belt.

Newcastle Fire Command says the contents of the silo were not involved in the fire.

67-Year-Old Charged Over Kooragang Island Protest

BY OLIVIA DILLON

A woman has been charged following an unauthorised protest at the Port of Newcastle today.

The 67-year-old entered Kooragang Island on her bike just after 6:00am, and locked herself onto a coal ship loader. 

She was removed by police, arrested, and taken to Newcastle Police Station, where she was charged with seriously disrupting work at a major facility and breach of bail.

The woman was refused bail to attend Newcastle Local Court later today. 

Image: Blockade Australia

UPDATE! Climate Change Protesters Face Court After Stopping Trains Near Singleton

 BY IAN CROUCH

For the 5th day in a row, an activist has stopped operations on the Hunter Valley coal chain.

A grandmother has scaled a stacker reclaimer at Kooragang Island on Friday morning and locked herself onto the infrastructure.

It comes after a 64-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl were charged for climbing onto a stopped coal train next Singleton Railway Station yesterday morning.

The woman has spent a night in the cells pending her appearance at Muswellbrook Court today.

The teenager was granted conditional bail to face the children's court on July 17.

EARLIER:

Two climate change activists have been charged following an unauthorised protest at Singleton.

A 64-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl climbed on top of a stopped coal train near Singleton Railway Station early Thursday morning.

They were arrested and charged with cause obstruction to railway locomotive or rolling stock and enter enclosed non-agricultural lands.

The woman was refused bail to face Singleton Court today (Friday 23 June 2023).

The teenager was granted strict conditional bail to face the children's court on July 17.

 

Plans for Clean Energy Precinct in Newcastle Unveiled

BY EMILY WILLIAMS

The Port of Newcastle has unveiled its concept designs for its 220 hectare Clean Energy Precinct.

This is part of the region's plan to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

The Port of Newcastle's Chief Commercial Officer Simon Byrnes says the future is looking bright.

"The plan sets out how we're going to bring in 1.5 Gigawatts worth of clean energy into the site," he said. 

"Then also the hydrogen, methanol and ammonia production facilities."

The precinct is expected to create around 5,800 new jobs in the Hunter.

Wednesday's announcement is phase one of the plan and hopes to establish the Hunter region as a "clean energy powerhouse".

This coming after Muswellbrook's Liddell Power Station which stopped generating last month, after more than five decades.

There is currently no expected completion date for the site.

Image: Port of Newcastle

BREAKING! More Protesters Charged With Disrupting Coal Operations At Kooragang Island

 BY IAN CROUCH

Police have again been called to the Port Waratah Coal Loaders on Wednesday morning where two people have attached themselves to equipment out of reach of officers. 

It comes after Police arrested two protesters overnight at the Port Waratah coal loaders.

Officers were called to Kooragang Island around 6.00pm on Tuesday.

They arrived to find a 22 -year-old man glued to a coal loader, while a 25-year-old woman was using an abseil to disrupt the operation of the coal loader,

Coal transport operations were halted for around two hours while the Police Rescue Squad worked to remove the man and woman from the equipment.

The pair were taken to Newcastle Police Station where they were charged with hinder working of mining equipment and enter enclosed non-agricultural lands.

They've been refused bail to face Newcastle Local Court today (Wednesday 17 November 2021).

21 people have now been charged with causing disruptions to the rail network.

Two protesters were removed from a coal reclaimer at Kooragang Island  Picture Getty Images.

Coal Ship Fire At Kooragang Island

BY IAN CROUCH

The crew of a coal ship docked at the Kooragang Island coal loader has been evacuated after a fire broke out on Sunday night.

6 fire trucks were called to the ship at about a quarter to six to find a fire in a store room on board.

Newcastle Fire Command says the fire spread to adjoining areas before it was contained.

Crews carried out a search of the entire ship before declaring it safe several hours later.

15 crew were evacuated from the ship - a number were treated for smoke inhalation.

Coal Pile Fire Kooragang Island

BY IAN CROUCH

Firefighters are working to contain a coal fire at Kooragang Island.

Crews were called to the coal corridor off Cormorant Road just before 10.30pm on Monday to find a pile of waste coal alight.

Newcastle Fire Command says the fire is deep seated and will take several hours to extinguish.

There is no immediate threat to property.

6 fire trucks and an RFS bulk water carrier were initially called to the scene, with crews being rotated through the night.

Heavy machinery will be brought in on Tuesday morning to break up the pile 

Thousands Of Animals Killed In Deliberately Lit Kooragang Habitat Fires

BY IAN CROUCH

A Newcastle PhD student says a spate of deliberately lit car fires have wiped out rehabilitated habitat and destroyed thousands of rare and endangered animals on Kooragang Island.

Chad Beranek has been studying the effect of habitat restoration on the green and golden bell frog population and was carrying out survey work in the early hours of Saturday morning when a car was torched near where he was working.

It's one of at least 10 car fires in recent months, with embers from Saturday's blaze believed to have smouldered in a nearby swamp marsh before being re-ignited by hot westerly winds that afternoon.

Chad Beranek has told Fairfax the recent fires have cost as much as $100,000 in property damage and lost research opportunities.

Chad Beranek Surveys The Burntout Habitat Picture: theherald,com,au