Report: No need for new coal-fired power station
01 Apr 2005
A new report presented to the NSW government shows there is no need to build a new coal fired power station in the state.
If a new 1000 MW coal-fired power station was built in NSW, it would create 6-7 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year, the equivalent of having 1.5 million new cars on the road. There are currently 4 million vehicles on NSW roads.
But the Clean Energy Future Group report has found building new coal fired power stations in NSW is unnecessary, as there are a number of safe, affordable and environmentally friendly energy alternatives.
The report shows NSW can take a twin track approach, firstly using energy efficiency and secondly providing new power from gas, bio-energy and wind. Combined this is more than enough to provide the annual electricity generation of a 1000 MW coal fired power station by 2010.
Like successful water saving initiatives in the last few years, initially 5,300 gigawatt hours of electricity can be saved per year with mandatory energy efficiency measures. The full potential is much greater than this.
Even compared to the cleanest coal power station, gas power stations produce half of the emissions and large renewables such as wind and biomass produce virtually no emissions. The package presented in this report would generate 1.3 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, 4.7 million tonnes less than the coal option.
"The NSW government has a stark choice. It could start addressing the causes of climate change or continue to keep increasing the high levels of greenhouse gas emissions being pumped into the atmosphere," said WWF Climate Change Campaign Manager Anna Reynolds.
The NSW Energy White paper discussing the direction of energy infrastructure investment for the next 30 years is due in the coming weeks.
The NSW Premier's own specialist advisory body on greenhouse gases has this week recommended deferring a new coal-fired power station and cutting emissions by 60 per cent by 2050.
NOTES
- Under the state government's flagship BASIX scheme (Building Sustainability Index Scheme) emissions could be reduced by 40 per cent on approximately 80,000 homes that are built and rebuilt in NSW each year. This would save 218,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
- However, building a new 1000MW coal-fired power station would wipe out those benefits 30 times over, creating 6-7 million tonnes per year of greenhouse gas emissions.
Download the Report
The report is now available for download.
For further information and to arrange interviews please contact:
Anna Reynolds, Climate Change Campaign Manager, WWF-Australia, 0419 547 217
or WWF Communications Officer Virginia Dew (02) 8202 1290 or email- vdew@wwf.org.au
or Jacqueline McArthur (02) 9281 5515 Mobile 0408 626 780
