Brown Coal not green says Green's Brown

Latrobe power station funding a waste, Greens say

Greens leader, Bob Brown, says technology behind a new 'clean coal' power station in Victoria's Latrobe Valley will not reduce greenhouse emissions as much as renewable energy sources would.

The Federal Government is contributing $100 million to help build the new $750 million, 400-megawatt power station being built by Australian energy company HRL.

The Member for Gippsland, Peter McGauran, says the new power station uses coal-drying technology and will cut the cost of electricity production.

"It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30 per cent, use half as much water as is currently the case and at the same time reduce power costs to consumers by some 30 per cent, all the time securing the future of brown coal as base-load electricity for the state of Victoria," he said.

But Senator Brown says the new coal technology will only bring brown coal emissions down to those of black coal generators, and he wants the money spent on renewable energy.

"If the coal industry wants to experiment with that, it's a multi-billion dollar industry, it can do so," he said.

"Taxpayers' money should be going into the clean alternatives which are going to safeguard this planet for the next generation."

The Federal Environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, says it is possible the technology used in the new power station could lead to cleaner coal production elsewhere in Australia.

"If successful, and we have every reason to believe it will be, it will then allow that technology to be deployed around Australia and of course worldwide," he said.

Print Email