Climate Action Merribek: people in Brunswick, Coburg, Fawkner and Glenroy wanting action on climate change

A new coal fired power station for Victoria?

September 27, 2010 at 8:34 pm morelandclimategroup Leave a comment

Premier Brumby must be an unhappy man right now. Less than two months after he announces his commitment to reduce Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, Chinese owned company HRL fronts up to the Environment Protection Authority asking for it to approve their ‘syngas’ coal fired power station in Morwell in the La Trobe valley.

For Brumby, kicking the coal habit is seeming a hard thing to do

The HRL proposal has been on the table for years and the Victorian government has committed $50 million to the project. Officially it’s clean coal technology, because the power station will burn natural gas to turn brown coal into synthetic gas.

It’s emissions are slightly – very slightly – under those for black coal power station, and it’s a polluting monster that Victoria just doesn’t need. The EPA has the power to stop this power station being built. But they’re unlikely to do that unless either Brumby gives them a sign that its now no longer okay, or we show that there is enough community opposition to it.

TAKE ACTION NOW:
The EPA has said that emails they received will formally be considered submissions, and so we need as many emails as possible to them before 6 October 2010. Here’s how:

1. Use Environment Victoria’s example email at their website, or
2. Better still, write your own submission at the EPA’s website.

Climate Action Moreland will be submitting a detailed response – stay tuned to see our submission.

With power stations like HRL ready to hit the decks, you have to wonder how committed Brumby is getting Victoria off it’s addiction to coal. The average emissions intensity of power plants in the OECD is about 0.45 tonnes. The proposed plant is 0.8 tonnes. Hardly worlds best practice.

Entry filed under: Victorian Government. Tags: coal, EPA, HRL.