Tassie green energy state

www.themercury.com.au
August 09, 2010

TASMANIA has the nation's greenest power generation with carbon emissions almost 95% lower than other states, a new report shows. The annual report to be released today by the Climate Group found electricity generation across Australia was greener last year compared with the year before. The report shows the state's carbon emissions, mainly from hydro-electricity generation, were just one-eighteenth -- or 5.55% -- of the average of the other states.

Greenhouse gas emissions from Tasmania's power stations were 400,000 tonnes in 2009 -- 0.2% of national power-station emissions. The Electricity Generation Report 2009 shows this is a decline of 36% from the year before, mainly because of a reduction in gas-fired generation and a rise in renewable power output from hydro dams and the wind. Tasmania produced 4.2% of the nation's electricity. Climate Group director Rupert Posner said Tasmania's power generation had extremely low emissions. "Tasmania produced less than 0.05 tonnes of greenhouse gases perMW hour of electricity generated in 2009, a figure more than 18 times less than the five-state average", Mr Posner said.

Tasmania has four gas-fired power stations producing 9%, or 830,000MWh, of the state's electricity needs. This represents a 24% drop from the year before. Tamar Valley Combined Cycle gas station was the big contributor to gas generation in 2009, at 440,000MWh. Wind generation grew 8%, producing 480,000MWh. The remaining 91% was produced from renewable sources. "Within Tasmania's borders are 12 of the top-20 renewable generators, all of which are hydro-electric", he said.

Energy Users Association of Australia spokesman Roman Domanski said emissions were expected to rise. "Obyiously a lack of rain affects the ability of hydro electricity to be generated and wind power is inevitably intermittent because you need the right conditions for the power to be generated", Mr Domanski said. "So that leaves Tasmania needing to rely more on a thermal back-up and that means gas and that then results in an increase in greenhouse emissions".