The Queensland Government has been urged to immediately put on hold more than 4000MW of proposed coal-fired power station projects

The Australian Cogeneration Association (ACA), representing key players in the Australian energy markets, said industry, the community and the environment needed to be protected from the coal-fired proposals currently before the Queensland Government. The proposals include the Callide expansion - 840MW, Kogan Creek - 600-800MW, Tarong expansion - 900MW, Wandoan - 750MW and Millinerran - 840MW.

The ACA has called upon the Queensland Government to place a moratorium on the granting of approvals to coal
fired projects until an appropriate greenhouse and energy market policy is put in place.

ACA Queensland Branch Chairman Mr Charles Brown said today that, if developed, the coal-fired projects would cost industry, the environment and the community dearly now and in the longer term - through lost opportunity, increased greenhouse gas emissions and fewer jobs.

In a recent submission, the ACA called on the Queensland Govenrinent to reject an application for an Electricity Generation Authority from the Milimerran power station developer, InterGen.

"These projects will jeopardise the viability of proposed gas infrastructure developments in Queensland including the PNG gas pipeling and coal seam methane developments," Mr Brown said.

"Before licenses and approvals for these coal-fired projects are granted, such as for Millmerran, the Government must thoroughly assess the ramifications for energy and greenhouse policy.

"Such coal-fired projects will displace higher efficiency, lower emission-producing technologies, including gas-fired projects now under development and consideration in Queensland - projects which underpin the development of new gas infrastructure projects, including the PNG pipeline."

Mr Brown said the knock-on effects of new large-scale, coal-fired stations would have an immediate negative impact in Queensland.

"A number of significant mineral processing projects in the State may be lost or significantly scaled down if competitively-priced gas is not made available, such as Comalco's proposed refinery expansion in Gladstone." he said.

According to the ACA, wihtout the proposed PNG gas pipeline. Queensland would risk:
 

• losing the opportunities and benefits of a new energy source for the next 10 to 15 years;
• losing the means to deliver lower greenhouse gas emissions with newer technologies; and
• losing 5, 100 construction jobs and 2, 100 operational jobs it has been estimated thepipeline and associated project will deliver.

For more information and copies of the ACA submission please contact Charles Brown on 0408 747 039 or Jessica Wilkinson (ACA) on 0417 539 377 
 
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