Vales Point Power Plant given two years to cut emissions The Toshiba 660 MW turbo-alternator became the standard in New South Wales, with similar units later being installed at Eraring, Bayswater and Mount Piper. It listed Eraring, Vales Point and Mt Piper in NSW and Yallourn in Victoria as most vulnerable. [citation needed], In November 2015, the Government of New South Wales sold Delta Electricity, which at that time owned only the Vales Point Power Station, to Sunset Power International for $1 million. A failure to act is no longer an option, Mr Chappel said. It leaves the Morrison governments UNGI program has still having supported no new generation investments, despite being first announced in October 2018, and announcing a dozen shortlisted projects more than two years ago. (NB only name and email is required to sign the petition - contact details are optional), You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it. The map below shows the location of the plant, near Mannering Park, New South Wales. Vales Point was originally equipped with three turbo-alternators of 200 MW supplied by the English Electric (unit nos. air pollution exemption granted to Vales Point power station by the NSW EPA was successfully challenged by environment and legal groups. Proponents of renewable energy and some business leaders haveraised concerns that financial supportfor hydrogen production powered by fossil fuels could artificially prolong the operation of the nations ageing fleet of coal-fired power stations, or create demand for gas which would be better directed to wind and solar projects. Goldman Sachs said Vales Point, backed by energy mogul Trevor St Baker, was facing closure potential. News and analysis for the clean energy economy. Mannering Park Progress Association spokesperson Sue Wynn said a new coal-fired power station at Vales Point was the worst news Mannering Park and surrounding areas could possibly hear. The power station's end of technical life is set for 2029. Solar feed-in tariffs cut again, despite much higher wholesale grid prices, How to double your old homes energy rating: Lessons from two efficiency retrofits, All-electric Polestar doubles sales, boosts margins as it prepares more EV models, EV battery recycler hits 95% recovery rate in world-first collection program, Electric vehicles grab record 6.8 pct share of Australia market as Tesla rules again. Vales Point power station is a major source of NOx on the Central Coast and beyond. Carbon Monitoring for Action estimates that Vales Point emits 9.32 million tonnes of greenhouse gases per year from burning coal. Two investors have bought one of NSW's largest coal-fired power stations for the price of a nice suburban house. In January 2019 St Baker told The Australian that he would submit a proposal to Australia's Minister for Energy, Angus Taylor, for government support from the Underwriting New Generation Investments program for three projects including a new A$2 billion 660 MW black coal plant in NSW's Hunter Valley at the Vales Point A power station site or at AGL's Liddell power station.The report claimed "St Baker has lined up a Chinese joint-venture partner" but did not name the company. Renewable energy boom could force coal power to close early, says new Delta Electricity knocked back in February a $9 million government grant to upgrade one of the plants turbines. Granted in December last year, the exemption allows the operators to emit a higher level of nitrogen oxide than usually allowable under clean air regulations. 4 was brought into use in 1966. Trevor St Baker's plans to keep burning coal at Vales Point beyond 2050 NSW has committed to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions, and the Hunter region is zoned for renewable energy development to help reach the goal. The future of NSWs coal-fired power plants is under increasing threat from cheap renewable energy, which this week forced Victorias Yallourn coal plant to bring forward its closure date as analysts warn the end may come even sooner. Vales point already has an exemption licence to pollute over and above NSW emission controls. Delta flagged early closure of Vales Point coal plant when it rejected federal grant | RenewEconomy 1 year ago Kim Grierson 1 year ago 1 year ago Apparently NSW retained the decommissioning liabilities Andy Saunders 1 year ago Prices that make it profitable? Nitric oxide oxidises in the atmosphere to form nitrogen dioxide. Andy Saunders 1 year ago John John 1 year ago Andy Saunders 1 year ago Several coal-fired plants in New South Wales have brought their closure dates forward. Delta flagged early closure of Vales Point coal plant when it rejected Billionaire Trevor St Baker will reignite plans for a 20-year extension of NSW's Vales Point coal power station amid fears the early closure of Origin Energy's giant Eraring plant may lead to market volatility and higher prices. Newcastle GP andpublic health academic Dr Ben Ewaldsaiddata from existing Hunter and Central Coast power stations provided more evidence of the need to replace old coal-fired power stations with renewable energy. In February, Prime Minister Scott Morrison promised Liberal party donor and part owner Trevor St Baker that an $11 million grant would be going his way to make upgrades. Vales Point sale HCEC The proposed plant would adjoin the existing 1320 MW Vales Point power station owned by Delta Electricity. Coal is carbon. In order to supply coal to the station, three mines were opened; Chain Valley Colliery, Newvale No.1 Colliery and Wyee State Mine. Michael Mazengarb is a Sydney-based reporter with RenewEconomy,writing on climate change, clean energy, electric vehicles and politics. NSW government sells Vales Point power station for $1m We make strategic investments with long-term commitment.. We continue to invest in the reliability of Vales Point to its notional closure in 2029. Cooking with gas: How bad for your health is it, really? We will continue to invest in the station both for ongoing energy needs and for system security, said the spokesperson. The first two units were completed in 1963, and the third in 1964. It is not what the community wants, because of climate change, and because of the environmental impacts of coal-fired power on our health. The other legacies of coal power include environmental and community impact that cannot be ignored as the closure of power stations take place in NSW. Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, said the results of the registration of interest showed that the region was set to reap the jobs and investment rewards from the transformation of the energy system. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. The sale price was not included in the press statement released on Saturday, December 17. Its members include residents and health professionals. One is electrolysis that uses electricity to split water, which can be powered by renewables in an emissions-free process and is known as green hydrogen. Brisbane-based energy consultant Trevor St Baker and coal baron Brian Flannery. The Vales Point Power Plant is currently set for closure in 2029, but the EPA ruling delivered on 28 October 2022 could bring that date forward to 2025. Vales Point is located on the southern shore of the lake, near the township of Mannering Park. Energy Australia to close Yallourn power station early and build 350 NSW EPA Chief Tony Chappel said the exemption, coupled with the requirement to cut emissions strikes the right balance between safeguarding environmental health and supporting NSWs need for reliable and affordable energy. Childhood asthma in the region has also been found to be extremely high (50% greater than in Sydney in spite of city transport fumes) and there is strong evidence that students who attend schools within a 10 Km radius of a coal fired power station have a reduction in learning outcomes due to the emissions from burning coal. The Vales Point coal-fired power station is expected to close in 2029 and there's concern the upgrade will extend this date even thought it's limited by state approvals, wiping out any emissions reduction benefits from the works. Mr St Baker said Evie Networks was moving into a capital-intensive phase with the rollout of 300 fast charging stations around Australia, while he was also involved in developing e-mobility in the Philippines. The power station doesnt currently have a valid air pollution licence. the practices of Delta Electricity, past and present that are driving a range of water pollution impacts in Lake Macquarie, the sale of the power station to Se.ven Global Investments, Closure planning, decontamination and rehabilitation. Local health professionals have analysed government health data and found shocking evidence of high cancer rates among residents in suburbs surrounding the power station and its coal ash dam each year an extra 107 cancer cases and 58 cancer deaths above the national average. Mr St Baker said he was looking for international investors after Australian banks and major lenders ruled out exposure to coal project funding, in part because of climate change stranded asset risks. Australia might face electricity supply shortages - AEMO 15 December 2021. This week Delta Electricity announced it sold the 1,320-megawatt Vales Point power station, located in the states Hunter region, to Sev.en Global Investments, owned by Czech billionaire Pavel Tyka. The EPA ruling has fuelled concerns that NSW may face an energy supply crunch in the coming years as coal swiftly exits the market. A licence granted last year exempts the operators of the Vales Point plant, recently sold to Sev.en Global Investments, from nitrogen oxide pollution standards. Vales Point is a coal-fired power station which supplies baseload electricity. [6], Carbon Monitoring for Action estimates this power station emits 9.32 million tonnes of greenhouse gases each year as a result of burning hydrocarbon fuels.[7].