Difference between revisions of "Liddell Power Station"

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==High Costs of Keeping Plant Open==
 
==High Costs of Keeping Plant Open==
  
In November 2017, a report by the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures found that a clean energy package that includes battery storage, solar thermal and bioenergy would cost $2.2 billion, compared to $3.6 billion for a package to extend the life of the Liddell plant. The study also found that Clean Energy would have "would have a zero pollution outcome compared to 40 million tonnes of pollution by extending Liddell."<ref>[http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/other-industries/report-suggests-its-cheaper-to-close-liddell-coalfired-power-station/news-story/f7985a74016d3f6fee40f9c8318ed19e Report suggests it's cheaper to close Liddell coal-fired power station], www.news.com.au, 20 Nov 2017.</ref>
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In November 2017, a report by the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures found that a clean energy package that includes battery storage, solar thermal and bioenergy would cost $2.2 billion, compared to $3.6 billion for a package to extend the life of the Liddell plant. The study also found that Clean Energy would have "would have a zero pollution outcome compared to 40 million tonnes of pollution by extending Liddell."<ref>[http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/other-industries/report-suggests-its-cheaper-to-close-liddell-coalfired-power-station/news-story/f7985a74016d3f6fee40f9c8318ed19e Report suggests it's cheaper to close Liddell coal-fired power station], www.news.com.au, 20 Nov 2017</ref>
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In December 2017, AGL Energy rejected a plea by the Australian government to keep the plant open beyond its planned retirement date of 2022. AGL said that electricity from gas, wind and solar projects would be cheaper to produce.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/australia-power-agl-energy/australias-agl-energy-ditches-coal-plant-for-gas-renewables-idUSL3N1O904D Australia's AGL Energy ditches coal plant for gas, renewables], ''Reuters'', 8 Dec 2017</ref>
  
 
==Plant Details==  
 
==Plant Details==  

Revision as of 14:41, 12 December 2017

{{#badges: CoalSwarm|Navbar-Australiacoal}}Liddell power station is a 2,000-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant in New South Wales, Australia.

AGL plans to close the plant in 2022 as it reaches more than 50 years of operation. In September 2017, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the Federal Government is trying to delay the closure of the plant for at least five years.[1]

Location

The map below shows the location of the plant, near Muswellbrook, New South Wales.

Background on Plant

The Liddell Power Station was commissioned between 1971 and 1973 and generates 2,000 megawatts from four 500MW generating units. Water is supplied from Lake Liddell. The power station consumes approximately 5.5 million tonnes of black coal per year.[2]

Ownership

Liddell Power Station was owned by Macquarie Generation, a government-owned business which was established in 1996 and boasts that it is "Australia's largest electricity generator."[3] Macquarie Generation was acquired by AGL Energy in September 2014.[4]

High Costs of Keeping Plant Open

In November 2017, a report by the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures found that a clean energy package that includes battery storage, solar thermal and bioenergy would cost $2.2 billion, compared to $3.6 billion for a package to extend the life of the Liddell plant. The study also found that Clean Energy would have "would have a zero pollution outcome compared to 40 million tonnes of pollution by extending Liddell."[5]

In December 2017, AGL Energy rejected a plea by the Australian government to keep the plant open beyond its planned retirement date of 2022. AGL said that electricity from gas, wind and solar projects would be cheaper to produce.[6]

Plant Details

  • Sponsor: AGL Energy Ltd
  • Parent company: AGL Energy
  • Location: Muswellbrook, New South Wales, Australia
  • Coordinates: -32.3715996, 150.9784213 (exact)
  • Status: Operating
  • Gross capacity: 2,000 MW (Units 1-4: 500 MW)
  • Type: Subcritical
  • In service: 1971-73
  • Coal type:
  • Coal source:
  • Source of financing:

Articles and resources

References

  1. "Malcolm Turnbull in talks with AGL to keep Liddell coal power station operating beyond 2022," ABC, Sep 6, 2017
  2. Macquarie Generation, "Liddell power station", Macquarie Generation website, accessed May 2011.
  3. Macquarie Generation, "Welcome", Macquarie Generation website, accessed May 2011.
  4. "AGL completes acquisition of Macquarie Generation assets", 2 September 2014
  5. Report suggests it's cheaper to close Liddell coal-fired power station, www.news.com.au, 20 Nov 2017
  6. Australia's AGL Energy ditches coal plant for gas, renewables, Reuters, 8 Dec 2017

Related SourceWatch articles

External resources