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.

Newcastle Airport Signs Historic Clean Energy Deal

BY OLIVIA DILLON

Newcastle Airport is one step closer to making the transition to 100% renewable energy, thanks to a new partnership. 

It's been announced today, a new energy purchase agreement has been signed by the airport and Flow Power. 

The agreement with the leading renewable energy retailer, will see the airport achieve its reduced carbon emission target, 7 years ahead of schedule. 

Already, the airport has installed a 99 kilowatt solar system, powering 4% of its needs.

There's future plans for more solar to take the renewable power supply to 30%

Under the new agreement, the plan is for the airport to offset grid consumption with green generation certificates, with the capacity to explore off-site sources in the future, including wind projects when they become available. 

Newcastle Airport CEO Peter Cock, said he's excited to see the airport continue on it's road to a clean energy future. 

"Effectively, all the energy we buy is being offset, so that takes about 2000 tonnes of carbon dioxide out of the environment," he said. 

"Often people like to talk about it in terms of cars; it's like 500 cars being taken off the road." 

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."  

Waratah Super Battery finds home at Lake Munmorah

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The Waratah Super Battery will be built on the former Munmorah Power Station site, the State Government has confirmed.

The 700 megawatt network battery is expected to act as a "shock absorber" for the electricity grid, and help maintain a standby energy supply beyond the closure of Eraring Power Station in 2025.

Treasurer Matt Kean says the battery will help ensure reliable power to Hunter residents as the switch to renewables continues.

It's understood, the site already has transmission infrastructure in place.

Construction is expected to begin early next year, for a mid-2025 completion.

The former power station was demolished in 2017.

City of Newcastle Explores Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions

BY OLIVIA DILLON

City of Newcastle is looking into future charging options for electric vehicle (EV) drivers who park on the street. 

At its Ordinary Meeting tomorrow night, council will discuss two notices of motion concerning the future of EVs in the region. 

The first, concerns a future upgrade for the Adamstown Local Centre, and asks council to incorporate public EV charging into their plans for the area. 

The second asks council to provide the best possible solutions for curbside residential charging in its planning and policy for the city moving forward. 

Councillor Carol Duncan, said the City of Newcastle is committed to moving forward with sustainability issues. 

"We know that EVs are coming at us really rapidly. We've got the internal combustion manufacturers already giving us deadlines on production, so that is going to cease. What we want to do is make sure that the city and residents are ready and catered for as that change comes through," Ms Duncan said. 

One option being considered by council would see EVs charged on the street using power poles. 

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is currently running a number of trials for the solution, with council awaiting results. 

"If you think about quite a lot of the suburbs surrounding the city, there are a lot of residents who don't have off-street parking. How are they going to be catered for as that move to EVs comes through?" Ms Duncan noted. 

She also said council will consider all viable charging options before the switch is made. 

"A conduit that is run under your footpath and bored out with water and a little pop-up station next to your car, is that a solution? Is the EVs on power poles trial part of the solution? Or is an overhead arm part of the solution?"

"What I really want to make sure of is that we've investigated all the possibilities, so that when people come to us and ask for it, we have the solutions in-hand to offer them," she said. 

Tomago's $28 Million Lithium Ion Battery Factory, Set to Charge Australia's Renewable Energy Future

BY ISABEL EVERETT

The Hunter will become home to $28 million, 4,000 square metre Lithium Ion Battery Factory. 

Located at Tomago, the Energy Renaissance, 'Renaissance One' plant is expected to create around over 1,700 direct jobs during the construction and operational phase, and another 6,500 indirect jobs. 

The company produces batteries that are optimised to perform in hot climates and can can be used to power infrastructure, buildings, businesses and homes.

 “We have settled on Tomago as the site of our first plant, construction will commence and the plant is scheduled for completion in 2021,” said Mark Chilcote, Managing Director of Energy Renaissance.

“The Hunter region has all the right skills, natural resources, expertise and an abundance in solar energy for us to develop a successful battery manufacturing business in Australia,” Chilcote said.

It’s expected that more than half of the batteries produced at Renaissance One will be exported through the Port of Newcastle.

Patron Senator for the Hunter Region Hollie Hughes congratulated Energy Renaissance on its investment in the Hunter during a ground-breaking ceremony at the Tomago site on Tuesday.

“Energy Renaissance will make clean and affordable energy more accessible and create greater energy security for Australia and our neighbouring countries.

“Once Renaissance One is operating at capacity, it will be able to provide - in the space of a year - enough batteries to power every public school, hospital, fire station, SES unit and new homes built in Australia."

“That’s reassuring because Australia will be able to rely on its own source of renewable energy in the very near future,” Senator Hughes said.

Hughes said that the company’s investment in the local economy will support the Hunter region and help lead Australia’s economic recovery.

"I would like to encourage other manufacturers to move to the area to create a renewable energy manufacturing hub."

“With its deep-water port and proximity to the Newcastle University there is no better location for renewable energy manufacturers.” 

Chilcote said that building Renaissance One at Tomago will provide significant competitive advantages to Energy Renaissance.

“Access to the Port of Newcastle will allow us to ship our batteries to Southeast Asia while working with highly-skilled talent from CSIRO’s Energy Centre and graduates from the University of Newcastle.”

With its new site, Energy Renaissance will leverage Australia’s abundance of natural resources by adding value to raw materials, building onshore capability, and exporting into global markets," said Dr Jens Goennemann, Managing Director of AMGC. 

"This in-turn will generate significant local manufacturing jobs and boost prosperity for the nation while giving Australia a significant foothold in the growing energy storage sector.”

The facility will be constructed by local property developer ATB Morton and have an initial battery production capacity of 66MWh per annum.

Energy Renaissance plans to scale its Australian operation to 5.3GWh of energy storage per annum with an additional investment of more than $200 million.

The Federal Government provided a co-funded grant of $246,625 through the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre to Energy Renaissance. 

Mark Chilcote, Energy Renaissance Managing Director 

Renaissance A3 Ah Cell

Hunter Business Chamber Welcomes Narrabri Gas Project

BY DAKOTA TAIT

The Hunter Business Chamber has welcomed yesterday's decision by the Independent Planning Commission to approve Santos' Narrabri Gas Project.

CEO Bob Hawes says local industry needed reliable and affordable energy supplied from gas and thermal sources until the renewable energy supply could meet the demand.

"We've got a situation here in the Hunter where the industry have high power usage," Mr Hawes said. "They rely on a source of power that's dispatchable and available 24/7, and we're not quite there with renewables yet." 

A Business NSW report from last December suggested an impending energy shortage as well as a tripling in the price of gas has punished many businesses for a wider failure to make use of the state's rich gas supply.

Mr Hawes says work on the project should begin immediately to ensure the state does not encounter a predicted shortfall in five years time.

“Gas is a complementary energy source to renewables," Mr Hawes said. "Securing our gas supply will help support reliable and affordable power as the energy market continues to evolve and develop emerging technologies like hydrogen."

Mr Hawes rejected claims made by NSW Energy and Environment Minister Matt Kean that gas lacked long-term viability and that the Narrabri project was a "gamble".

"We haven't built the bridge properly yet," Mr Hawes said. "When we consider the amount of coal-fired power that is going to be turned off over the next twenty years, over 7000 megawatts of that is going to be in the Hunter, and we're not seeing replacement projects that can supply the same sort of power."

“The Hunter region is ideally placed to continue as a energy hub and powerhouse and building the bridge from where we are now to a secure energy future dominated by renewables will be enormously assisted by firming abundant, affordable and accessible gas supplies."

Image credit: reneweconomy.com.au

New Video Showcases Newcastle's Evolution From Industrial Town to Renewable Powerhouse

BY DAKOTA TAIT

A new video has been released looking back at Newcastle's transformation from the "steel city" to a clean energy leader, and Newcastle Council becoming the first council in Australia to make the switch to 100 percent renewables.

Council's initiatives which helped them reach the achievement include introducing solar panels to council buildings, enhancing electric vehicle infrastructure, and switching to sustainable public transport options, in addition to significant investment in the Summerhill Solar Farm.

Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen says the City of Newcastle is "exceptionally pleased" to have been showcased for their work as a member of the Climate Council and the Cities Power Partnership.

"We were the very first council in Australia to embrace 100 percent renewables," said Cr Clausen.

"We did it in a way that means we're saving money for rate-payers and returning those savings back into community infrastructure, so it's a really great outcome."

The City of Newcastle's operations have been completely powered by renewable energy since New Year's Day - and the council has more plans to improve waste management, expand active transport, and help out businesses and households with their energy use as well.

Local businesses such as the Carrington Bowling Club, which are featured in the video,  have also launched significant community campaigns to raise money for renewables too - the club now saves more than a thousand dollars a month thanks to their own solar panels.

David Craven, Director of the Cities Power Partnership, says the community's involvement in renewable energy initiatives has been just as exciting as the council's efforts.

"It's fantastic to see what the council is doing, but this is also clearly something that's deeper than just the council taking action," said Mr Craven.

"The community themselves are getting behind this, and we can see that there's a real thirst for renewable energy in the community of Newcastle."

Concerns have been raised from the community and environmental groups regarding the continued impact of the Port of Newcastle - the busiest coal export port in the world - and Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group's recent application to increase their coal terminal capacity on Kooragang island from 66 to 79 million tonnes of coal per year.

"I think we're seeing the economics of coal really heading in the wrong direction for those kinds of applications. These things are going to play out in the market anyway," Mr Craven said. 

Newcastle Council say they are committed to sustainable development, working closely with partners, including operators like the Port of Newcastle, to look at how they can continue to diversify.

"Coal is an exceptionally important commodity for Newcastle and the Hunter region, and we want to look closely on how to reduce the impact they have on the environment. We've been working really closely with partners, by adopting sustainable development goals with Port Waratah Coal services," said Cr Clausen.

"Newcastle still has a reputation to be a steel city, and it's certainly a reputation that when you talk to people from outside the region that we're a dirty city."

"This is a really unique way of showcasing the amount of change that has happened in Newcastle, and we hope that that will lead to positive outcomes in terms of what other cities can do as well."

Watch the video here.

Image credit: https://citiespowerpartnership.org.au/

PM pushes for extension to Liddell function

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

The federal government is ramping up the pressure on AGL to sell or extend the life of Muswellbrook's Liddell Power Station.

Liddell is the oldest coal-fired power station in the Hunter Valley, however, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull believes it is "manifestly in the public interest" for AGL to keep the station running beyond its planned closure in 2022.

It's understood an informal approach has been made to AGL by rival company, Alinta Energy, to buy Liddell, while the Prime Minister phoned AGL chief executive Andy Vesey on Tuesday to discuss the move.

Malcolm Turnbull said the power giant would be doing the "right thing by their customers, by the community, and I think by their own shareholders, to keep this plant going for another four or five years or sell it to somebody who is prepared to do so."

However, Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon has labelled the idea as a way for the Prime Minister to repent for failures in the energy sector in the eyes of voters.

"I believe the Prime Minister is playing catch-up and thinking more about the next election and his failures in energy than concerns about the Hunter," Mr Fitzgibbon said.

"I have no problem with Liddell operating for a few more years," he continued,"in fact I welcome that, but whether AGL can come to a commercial arrangement with a buyer is an entirely different matter," he said.

The MP thinks there is no point keeping the station running a few extra years if it eliminates investment plans for renewable technologies which could create and sustain jobs for years to come.

Environmental Justice Australia's Dr James Whelan has slammed the idea, following the release of new data showing a growing level of emissions coming from Hunter Valley coal-fired power stations like Bayswater and Liddell.

There was a 69% jump in dangerous fine particle emissions at Bayswater, while a massive 179% spike was recorded at Lake Macquarie's Vales Point Power Station.

"Air pollution kills more than 3000 Australians prematurely every year," Dr Whelan explained,"a lot of the health effects are from fine particles from coal-fired power stations, while sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen have acute and short-term respiratory impacts that can cause asthma attacks and hospital admissions for inflamed throats."

He said given the health risks posed by non-renewable energy generation, the extension of the old Liddell station is a terrible idea.

"We're dismayed by the jockeying for the Liddell Power Station...it's toxic, old and inefficient and its time has come.

"Closing Liddell would have a huge health benefit on the communities in the Hunter Valley, we'd see 183,000 kilograms less fine particle pollution each year," Dr Whelan said.

Meanwhile, Upper Hunter MP Michael Johnsen is pushing for a new high-energy, low emissions (HELE) coal power station to be built in his electorate.

He's praised the efforts of 20 federal backbenchers including former PM Tony Abbott, who are lobbying for better energy guarantees to drive down energy costs by increasing demand.

Michael Johnsen says they have the funds [raked in from a regional NSW $4.1 billion-dollar cut of the Snowy Hydro sale] to make it happen.

"Families are feeling the cost of electricity in their home budgets, and businesses are feeling the costs, which puts a lot of jobs at risk," he said.

"We can't afford that...we've got the resources, the expertise and the infrastructure and we should be building new HELE coal-fired power stations."

Resurrected? Liddell could be saved from retirement in 2022. Image: ABC.