Weekend Australian
Saturday 1 July, 2010 Page: 3
Australia's electricity industry has unveiled a huge program for power generation development over the next decade and beyond, offering opportunities for thousands of engineering, construction and services jobs as well as long-term employment in plant operation. Confronted with the need to meet a more than 21% increase in power demand by 2019 on industry estimates and a more than 60% increase by 2030 on federal government projections generators are working on 217 development proposals across Australia,
The projects include wind farms, renewable generation based on biomass and solar power, a massive amount of gas-fired production and a few coal burning plants. The 2010 Energy Supply Association of Australia yearbook reports that the plans add up to 45,190MW in generation capacity compared with 50,814MW of current grid connected plant plus 5167MW of non-grid plant. The association says that this is in addition to 2000MW of capacity commissioned during 2008-09, the year under review, and includes 3134MW of plant being constructed at present and 3444MW of generation under advanced planning.
Now that the amended renewable energy target has been approved by federal parliament, being passed on the last day of sitting in June, the industry expects a burst of wind farm development. The Clean Energy Council says the RET approval will lead to $20 billion in investment and create thousands of new jobs, many in regional Australia. In a report prepared for the CEC, Roam Consulting estimates that the legislation will see 8200MW of renewable energy capacity installed: 7000MW of wind turbines, 700MW of biomass and 500MW of geothermal power.
The Clean Energy Council claims the RET-driven developments will reduce Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by 380 million tonnes by the end of the decade, "the most significant climate change initiative in Australia's history." The state with the leading interest in wind is Victoria, where investors have 46 projects (4400MW capacity) lined up, followed by NSW with 21 projects (3780MW, including one of the world's biggest proposed developments, involving 1000MW, planned for Silverton, near Broken Hill, by German company Epuron and Macquarie Capital Group).
In third place is South Australia, whose Premier, Mike Rann, has voiced ambitions to make the state the eastern seaboard hub for wind power, with more than 5000MW in capacity. At present there are 21 projects, totalling 1900MW, under consideration for SA. In addition, wind farm investors have seven projects planned for Queensland (922MW), eight in Western Australia (647MW) and three in Tasmania (678MW).
The Energy Supply Association of Australia yearbook reports a large interest in investment in gas generation. It says there are 57 generation projects using natural gas or coal-seam methane being considered across Australia. This includes 3000MW of gas-fuelled generation being built or considered for western Victoria by three companies, AGL Energy, Origin Energy and Santos, and almost 6000MW of gas-fired plant in Queensland proposed by ERM Power, Origin Energy and Transfield Services. As well, a possible 2400MW of gas generation or 2000MW of coal-fired plant is proposed for development in NSW. The next steps for the state hang on resolution of the Keneally government's privatisation plans, reviews by the environmental regulator of proposals and the election in March 2011.
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