PM Launches Solar Sun Shot Program At Muswellbrook

 BY IAN CROUCH

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants the Hunter to be at the forefront of solar panel manufacturing.

He visited the former Liddell Power Station at Muswellbrook on Friday to announce a $1 billion investment into the sector so more panels are made in Australia.

Currently, 99 per cent of solar panels on Australian rooves are made overseas.

The Prime Minister's office says the $1 billion Solar Sun Shot program will help Australia capture more of the global solar manufacturing supply chain through support, including production subsidies and grants.

Liddell Power Station closure generates future energy debate

BY CONNOR MARSELOS

Today marks a major milestone in how the energy grid will be shaped for future generations.

After operating as a coal-fired power station since 1971, the Liddell Power Station finally shut down, as the last 500 megawatt generator switched-off.

The shutdown plays a role in the Federal Government's transition to renewable energy, mainly wind and solar power.

Business Hunter CEO Bob Hawes, says the closure of Liddell now puts the region into an uncertain period of energy insecurity through to 2027.

"Energy demand in Australia is still increasing significantly and is going to continue to increase while we do gear up for the renewable revolution." Mr Hawes said.

The plan to address the potential short fall Mr Hawes says, has to factor in large-scale commitments to compensate energy generation not just with Liddell, but the five remaining coal-fired power stations.

"We'll continue to work at the intersection of government, business, and investment to support the supply of reliable and renewable energy as we journey towards a renewable energy future".

Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen has already indicated the size and scope of the transition now laid out for Australia.

The minister noted, in order to achieve Net-Zero by 2030, the energy grid would need to commission 40 wind turbines per month and 22,000 solar panels daily to meet the energy demand.

One source cited by the minister during these remarks, was the potential utilization of small, modular nuclear reactors.

Nationals leader David Littleproud is calling for a mature conversation with the government about the role nuclear energy can play in the transition.

"It can replace this big generator with two or three small modular nuclear reactors, that would keep the jobs here, give a future for the Hunter and the jobs that need to come back," Mr Littleproud said.

Image: Newcastle Herald

Divide over the closure of Liddell Power Station

BY JORDAN REGNIS

The closure of Liddell Power Station is being felt differently, with environmental groups and politicians divided.

National's leader David Littleproud has expressed his disagreement over the decision while speaking with Sky News' Peta Credlin.

"We've got to look at the practical reality of what's happening and the reckless pace that we're going down, this renewable path," he said

"You need this thing called firming. If you don't have firming power to support renewables, renewables won't work."

The Climate Council has made a point of highlighting the station's unreliability and inability to produce it's maximum amount of power, having to be restarted 335 times last year.

Following Liddell's closure announcement in 2017, investment in renewables has spiked considerably, accounting for more than double the electricity output produced by Liddell across NSW.

Senior Researcher at the Climate Council Dr Carl Tidemann said the nation needs to look to new sources of energy. 

"The time is right to start retiring old and failing coal." 

A string of renewable energy projects for the state are already in the mix, including AGL'S big battery, which will have a capacity of 250 megawatts, along with the New England Solar Farm.

Urgent Investment Needed for Renewables

BY OLIVIA DILLON 

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), says urgent investment is needed for the Hunter's renewable energy projects. 

With the upcoming closure of the Liddell Power Station, the Operator has updated the 2022 Electricity Statement of Opportunities, and says projects in the pipeline need to be fast-tracked, to avoid the continuation of soaring energy costs. 

The update reflects key concerns already held by the region's peak business body. 

Business Hunter CEO Bob Hawes, said measures need to be put in place across the region, to prepare businesses and households for the possibility renewables won't initially be able to match domestic demand. 

"We've got to now stress more strongly to businesses and the community, to look much more carefully at energy conservation measures; how they can put in place measures that will reduce their energy consumption as a way to offset the pressure that they're likely to come under as power shortages continue," Mr Hawes said. 

"If they do, it's likely we're not going to see the stabilization of prices at all. Prices are likely to stay quite high." 

He also said with the election coming up in March, investment in renewables should be a priority. 

"We're recommending the incoming state government look at the opportunity to automatically designate any renewable energy project as a state-significant infrastructure project, so it moves quickly through the planning process," Mr Hawes said. 

"We need to give these projects as much support as we possibly can, because at the moment it's looking a little bit grim based on AEMO's forecast."  

AGL Kicks Off Transition Planning for Liddell Power Station

BY DAKOTA TAIT

AGL has launched the 12 week planning process to transform the Liddell Power Station into a renewable energy hub ahead of the site's closure in 2022-23.

The electricity giant will work with engineering contractor Delta Group to establish steps to decommission and remediate the station's infrastructure.

The redeveloped site is set to focus on technologies such as solar energy storage, grid-scale batteries, and waste-to-energy processing.

AGL Chief Operating Officer Markus Brokhof says it's a bittersweet but inevitable milestone for one of the Hunter's biggest energy suppliers.

"The station is now nearing the end of its technical life and our transition program is about ensuring the safety of our people and preparing other sources of generation to continue delivering reliable electricity," Mr Brokhof said.

"Australia’s future energy needs will be delivered through a combination of technologies - gas, hydrogen, pumped-hydro, renewables and firming technologies and industrial developments."

Image credit: https://thehub.agl.com.au/

AGL Macquarie Ordered To Give $100,000 To Community Projects Following Breach Of Regulations

BY IAN CROUCH

Energy giant AGL says it's committed to complying with all its environmental obligations after breaching coal ash monitoring regulations in the Upper Hunter.

The company advised the Environmental Protection Authority in January 2019 of errors discovered in the way it sampled and analysed coal ash from its Liddell and Bayswater Power Stations near Muswellbrook, used to gauge air qualty in the local area.

AGL has entered into an enforceable undertaking with the EPA agreeing to pay $82,000 towards the installation of air monitoring equipment in the Upper Hunter and $18,000 to the Singleton Shire Landcare Network towards the Col Fisher Park Weed Eradication Project. In addition, the company is required to pay the EPA's investigation and legal costs amounting to $37,356.

In a statement, an AGL spokesman says the company engaged consultants to conduct extensive sampling of it's coal ash and review the company's historical results. "We engaged another external expert, Environmental Risk Sciences Pty Ltd, to carry out a comprehensive human health and ecological risk assessment which confirmed that the beneficial reuse of coal ash did not pose any risks to human health and is not a concern to the environment", the spokesman said.

The company says it's since worked exclusively with the EPA to update their sampling plans and procedures to fully address the issues identified and has worked cooperatively with the Authority to ensure it complies with its obligations.

Bayswater Power Station

                                          



                                                  

 

Labor Critical of Government's Liddell Taskforce

BY LILLY HAINES

The Morrison Government has announced a taskforce to study the expected closure of the Liddell Power Station near Muswellbrook.

The taskforce is reportedly leaving all options on the table including extending the life of or replacing the ageing coal plant at the expense of the taxpayer, and is looking into the effects the closure will have on our energy system.

The announcement comes after AGL revealed it would extend the life of Liddell an extra four months with closure now planned for April 2023.

Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Resources, and Federal Member for Hunter, Joel Fitzgibbon has said the move is too little too late from the Morrison Government.

"We've known for at least six years that Liddell would not last beyond her 50th birthday and yet they have left it until now to try to work out what we are going to do in response," he said.

Mr Fitzgibbon said the Hunter needs to attract new investment into new generation and storage facilities to counter the closure of the coal fired power plant.

"The government has announced a four month extension, which we welcome, but we needed an energy policy six years ago to drive investment and accelerate new facilities in the Upper Hunter".

"If the formation of a committee is the best thing the Morrison Government can do after six years we are all in trouble," Mr Fitzgibbon said.

Liddell Power Station near Muswellbrook. Image: ABC News. 

Newcastle Set to Host Air Quality Review Forum

BY LILLY HAINES

Newcastle is set to host an air quality forum next week to discuss proposed new standards for toxic air pollutants in the region.

A government committee reviewing national air pollution standards is visiting the area to hear from people affected by exposure to toxic gas air pollutants.

The review process is looking at the levels of oxides of nitrogen and related gases sulphur dioxide and ozone.

The review of ambient air pollutants is occurring 21 years after national air pollution standards were introduced.

Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) issued a report in February showing coarse particle pollution had worsened in many parts of NSW over the past 12 months, including areas in the Hunter.

The report showed coarse particles exceeded the annual standard at nine locations, up from 2 locations in 2017 and none in previous years.

Eight of these locations were located in the Hunter at sites including Mt Thorley, Singleton, Muswellbrook, Mayfield, Carrington, and Beresfield.

"The Hunter region has quite high levels of particle air pollution both for coarse particles which are mostly coming from coal mines and for finer particles which are coming from fires and coal-fired power stations," Dr Ben Ewald from DEA said.

Dr Ewald said there is also a problem with sulphur dioxide air pollution, which he says is mostly emitted by the power stations but can also come from aluminium smelting.

"Nitrogen dioxide tends to be more of a problem down in Sydney because it's mostly a traffic related thing, but sulphur dioxide is a problem in places like Muswellbrook with exposure to power stations," said Dr Ewald.

"And that shows up also in the monitors close to the Tomago aluminium smelter."

Dr Ewald also said there are serious health risks linked to exposure to ambient gases, with fine particle pollutants increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes as well as having an association with lung cancer.

Respiratory irritations, like triggering asthma attacks, have been linked to suplhur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide exposure with statistics showing a greater proportion of people experience respiratory irritations in the Upper Hunter than other parts of the state.

The air quality forum will be held at Newcastle Town Hall on Tuesday 23rd July beginning at 5:30pm.

Liddell Power Station near Muswellbrook. Image: AAP. 

New Report Labels Coal Ash Dumps a 'Ticking Time Bomb'

BY LILLY HAINES 

New research released today claims communities in Lake Macquarie and the Hunter situated near coal fired power stations are at serious risk from poorly managed coal ash waste sites.

The report titled Unearthing Australia's Toxic Coal Ash Legacy published by Environmental Justice Australia (EJA) is the first comprehensive national study of coal ash waste management in Australia.

Coal ash is a toxic by-product of coal fired power containing heavy metals including mercury, lead, arsenic, selenium and chromium which can have adverse effects on human and environmental health in nearby areas.  

Report author and EJA Lawyer Bronya Lipski says communities closest to coal fired power stations bear the greatest burden with most sites being extremely close to waterways.

"Lax government regulation and poor management has led to the contamination of groundwater, rivers, lakes, and aquatic ecosystems as well as toxic air pollution from dried out lumps," Ms Lipski said.

Eraring, Vales Point, Liddell and Bayswater Power Stations have all been named in the report as poorly managed ash dump sites with each of the stations described as inadequately lined to prevent groundwater contamination.

The report says most of Australia’s coal ash dumps are unlined meaning groundwater is not properly protected from toxic waste.

"Independent water testing has shown there are higher levels of really toxic contaminants in Lake Macquarie to the point where certain fish and crabs can only be consumed in small amounts compared to other fish and crabs," Ms Lipski said.

Water sampling done earlier this year by the Hunter Community Environment Centre (HCEC) found the creek that takes overflow from the Eraring as dump site has a selenium concentration more than 55 times the level recommended to protect fish and birds.

"Coal ash dumps are a ticking time bomb. All Australian governments need to act now, not wait for disaster," Ms Lipski said. 

She says communities haven't been properly informed about the potential risks and is calling for state parliamentary inquiries into the issue.

"That kind of process is going to make sure that there is a transparency of information and that operators and regulators can be preparing now for rehabilitation and closure plans well before the power stations close," Ms Lipsky.

Eraring Power Station ash dam cells holding coal ash waste. Image: EJA.

Company Secretary of Vales Point operator Delta Electricity, Steve Gurney, questions the scientific validity of the water sampling undertaken by the HCEC cited in the report.

"EJA is a group of anti-coal activists with one state of objection and that is to shut down coal fired power stations and this is another attempt from them to sensationalise the issue to create uncertainty and community fear regarding the operation of power generators," Mr Gurney said. 

Delta says all their testing results have to be undertaken using approved environment protection authority (EPA) guidelines and those results are published monthly on their website.

“The current conditions set by the EPA are very stringent and all the testing shows results well below the international guidelines for fresh and marine environments.

“Testing undertaken on a regular basis shows there is no leeching from these ash dams. Power stations and particularly ash dams are highly regulated with significant oversight by the EPA,” Mr Gurney said.

Manning Park resident Sue Wynn has lived within 2km of the Vales Point power station for over forty years and drives past the ash dam every day.

Ms Wynn says she is concerned about the environmental "devastation" the ash dam has caused in Lake Macquarie.

"That has really affected my life here in that sense because I know that environmental devastation is on my doorstep, and it also has an effect because we want to know that that is safe for our health.

"Because these power stations were built in the 60s, the ash dams were put in and they were unlined, the government did not bring in any stricter environmental pollution control when they had the opportunity to so that sludge is more toxic than it needs to be. 

"We still have 1960s air pollution controls on that power station," Ms Wynn said.

The EJA report recommends state inquiries into coal ash dumps, rehabilitation plans, tougher groundwater regulation, safe containment of existing ash dumps, bond payments to protect communities, national guidelines, and more transparent easily-accessible information on the issue.

Vales Point ash dump from above. Image: EJA.

Newcastle Set To Be Hub For Renewable Energy

BY IAN CROUCH

A Newcastle company is set to be at the forefront of renewable energy thanks to a massive investment from overseas.

A Swiss firm is injecting $700 million into C.W.P Renewables based Hunter Street to build large-scale wind, solar and battery projects in NSW.

The company says it will produce enough energy to help replace the Liddell coal-fired power station at Muswellbrook when it closes in 2022.

The plan, known as the Grassroots Energy Platform, will be built over the next four years.