Its members include residents and health professionals. In a statement Mr St Baker highlighted the buyers commitment to growing the business. We call on Federal Treasurer the Hon Dr Jim Chalmers and the NSW Treasurer and Minister for Energy, the Hon Matt Kean, to refuse the proposed sale of Vales Point Power Station to Czech company Sev.en. Delta Electricity, which is jointly owned by Trevor St Baker and Brian Flannery, announced early in 2019 that it was seeking support for the proposal from the Australian Government's Underwriting New Generation Investments program. The big energy companies are also feeling the pressure from the Morrison government over the proposed closure dates for older coal-fired power stations. The announcement today by Original doesnt change Vales Points position, said the spokesperson. St Baker said that financing the projects would not be sought from Australian banks but instead would rely solely on international lenders. Its also unknown how the sale will impact the rehabilitation responsibilities for the power station ash dumps, she said. The Cockle Creek power station was built by Caledonian Collieries Limited between 1925 and 1927 to use low grade coal to provide power to Caledonian Collieries mines and the surrounding townships in both the . [5] The balloon loop opened in March 1980. We oppose this sale as it is NOT in the local, state or national interest: Early closure of Australia's largest coal-fired plant could create Transitioning the Hunter and Central Coast from a fossil fuels manufacturing base to one of renewable generation is underway. 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. 287 Elizabeth Street It was commissioned in 1978 and is located on the southern shore of Lake Macquarie. Yalloun Power Station closure to put Newcastle's Vales Point in While Delta secretary Steve Gurney said the sale of Vales Point was a completely unrelated commercial matter to the emissions issue, Nature Conservation Council chief executive, Jacqui Mumford, said the new owners should be required to slash the stations pollution so that people across NSW can breathe healthier air. Wikimedia. . We continue to invest in the reliability of Vales Point to its notional closure in 2029. He dismissed the suggestion that Vales Point would close earlier than 2029, particularly given the impending closure of its near neighbour, Liddell Power Station, in 2023. The power stationed operated from 11 March 1927 until March 1976. The Vales Point coal-fired power station near the shores of Lake Macquarie, in NSW.Credit:James Whelan. The owners of the Hazelwood coal plant in the Latrobe valley only provided five months notice ahead of its closure in 2017, which delivered a big blow to the workforce and Victorias power prices. In public comments this week, the current owner of Vales Point, Trevor St Baker, indicated that Sev.en may seek to keep the station open beyond its current closure date of 2029, saying the company had shown a commitment to the sector and an ambition to expand, both in Australia and globally. Delta Electricity knocked back in February a $9 million government grant to upgrade one of the plants turbines. Energy entrepreneur Trevor St Baker and coal investor Brian Flannery will sell their Vales Point coal-fired power station in NSW for several hundred million dollars to a private Czech firm in what represents a further upheaval in the fast-changing sector. NSW plant closures include the Vales Point power station, scheduled to shut in 2029-30. Sign up to The Sydney Morning Heralds newsletter here, The Ages here, Brisbane Times here, and WAtodays here. The Vales Point coal-fired power station near the shores of Lake Macquarie, in NSW.James Whelan Goldman Sachs said Vales Point, backed by energy mogul Trevor St Baker, was facing "closure potential". Victoria's potential crunch comes with the 2028-29 closure of the Yallourn power plant in the. The EPA has the chance to take a good look at this before issuing the new owners with a licence to pollute, she said. The power stations end of technical life is set for 2029. However. 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. These four units were known as 'A' Station, its capacity of 875 MW being the highest in New South Wales at the time. 4), for a total of 875 MW. In a letter obtained by RenewEconomy, Delta told the department that the funding was below the amount of funding the company had requested and left the company carrying too much of the cost. 1 to 3) and one of 275 MW supplied by Associated Electrical Industries (unit no. Energy Australia will close the Yallourn power station in Victoria's Latrobe Valley in mid-2028, four years ahead of schedule, and build a giant battery instead. A Morrison government plan to fund upgrades at the Vales Point coal fired power station fell through after the government offered insufficient funding for the upgrades to take place, with owners Delta Electricity warning the plant could close early, documents obtained under FOI show. The sale, which was handled by RBC Capital Markets, takes Mr St Baker out of coal power at a sizeable profit on paper. Analysts identified particular economic risk for Vales Point coal power near Newcastle, the same region where NSW Energy Minister Matt Kean will today announce a $70 million fund to grow a green hydrogen industry, which he said would bring jobs and growth to the region. The Stop the Sale of Vales Point Power Station and Close It Down petition to Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers & NSW Treasurer Matt Kean was written by Future Sooner and is in the category Owners of Vales Point power station turn down $8.7 million grant, blaming the Morrison government for taking too long to approve funds for turbine upgrades. EnergyAustralia announced on Wednesday its Yallourn coal plant would close in 2028, four years ahead of the previous deadline. The operator applied for an exemption granted in December 2021 with a reduction variation and additional conditions imposed by the NSW Environment Protection Agency. . 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. We do not want this in foreign hands. The pair, who famously bought the generator for $1 million from the NSW government in 2015 and then revalued it at $722 million two years later, agreed to sell their respective 50 per cent stakes in Delta Electricity, the owner of the plant, to the family company Sev.en Global Investments. The project was moved to Vales Point Power Station in 2012, after Munmorah closed. Mr St Bakers proposal was also raised as the Federal Government approved the controversial Wallarah 2 underground coal mine north of Wyong, leading critics to warn the government could kiss goodbye to the Liberal-held Central Coast seat of Robertson because the community strongly opposes amine in the regions water catchment. The study also criticized the absence of air pollution monitoring within 25 km of Eraring and the nearby Vales Point power station. Delta said it did not make financial sense to proceed with the upgrade with the smaller grant amount, given ongoing uncertainty in the energy market and the looming closure of the power station, currently slated for 2029. Delta Flagged Early Closure of Vales Point Coal Plant When I The Nature Conservation Council of NSW said that, unlike previous exemptions, this one cannot be extended beyond October 2027. If you want to be updated with all the latest energy sector news, you can sign up for our newsletter or visit our blog section. Coal-fired power will be needed to keep the lights on for another couple of decades, said Mr St Baker, who is an investor in fast charging system provider Tritium, which listed in New York early this year, and Evie Networks, among other energy interests. It is the second instance of the Morrison government failing to secure investment in new coal-fired generation infrastructure by offering insufficient funding support, following earlier revelations that the government had not provided sufficient grant funding to ensure proponents of a coal-fired power station in Queensland could complete a bankable feasibility study. Meanwhile, EnergyAustralias owner CLP Group, also based in Hong Kong, is in the market for partnerships to support future investments to support the decarbonisation of the countrys third-largest power and gas supplier. In an open letter to the Newcastle Herald, eleven community environment groups from Lake Macquarie and the Hunter urge the Australian Treasurer, Jim Chalmers to reject the sale of the Vales Point power station for fear of worsening impacts. Vales Point is a coal-fired power station which supplies baseload electricity. In 2022, an air pollution exemption granted to Vales Point power station by the NSW EPA was successfully challenged by environment and legal groups, who argued that community health impacts of toxic air emissions - including childhood asthma and premature deaths were - being ignored, pointing out that Vales Point routinely breach NSW air protection laws. Future Sooner is a community action group working towards a clean energy future for the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie. Currently the sale is under investigation by the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) with its decision to be announced in mid-October 2022. We will continue to invest in the station both for ongoing energy needs and for system security, said the spokesperson. The NSW EPA noted that environment department modelling found that ground-level concentration of NOx in the community meets national health standards. [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]. Cockle Creek Power Station - Wikipedia Delta also blamed ongoing regulatory and policy uncertainty, which it said, does not represent an appropriate investment environment.. Lake Macquarie - Department of Primary Industries The EPA ruling has fuelled concerns that NSW may face an energy supply crunch in the coming years as coal swiftly exits the market. Eraring is now scheduled for closure in 2025 and will leave Vales Point as the last electricity-generating station standing on Lake Macquarie, however, Vales Point is also scheduled for nominal closure in 2029. [1], In March 2019 Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that Delta Electricity's proposal had been shortlisted but provided no details.[2]. AGL Energy has also brought forward the closure of its 2220 MW Loy Yang A plant in Victoria to 2035. At the same time, embattled AGL Energy is struggling to determine its forward strategy and put in place a refreshed board after the collapse of a demerger plan and as its biggest shareholder, software billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes, pushes for a faster exit from coal power to align with the goals of the Paris climate accord. Munmorah power station - Global Energy Monitor (NB only name and email is required to sign the petition - contact details are optional), You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it. Email: info@de.com.au, {"type":"HYBRID","minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"types":["ROADMAP","SATELLITE","HYBRID","TERRAIN"],"mappingservice":"googlemaps3","width":"600px","height":"500px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"visitedicon":"","wmsoverlay":false,"zoom":16,"layers":[],"controls":["pan","zoom","type","scale","streetview","rotate"],"zoomstyle":"DEFAULT","typestyle":"DEFAULT","autoinfowindows":false,"resizable":false,"kmlrezoom":false,"poi":true,"cluster":false,"clustergridsize":60,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clusteraveragecenter":true,"clusterminsize":2,"imageoverlays":[],"kml":[],"gkml":[],"searchmarkers":"","fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":false,"locations":[{"text":"","title":"","link":"","lat":-33.161011600000002,"lon":151.5452521,"icon":""}]}. It is also harmful to the environment. Phone: 02 4352 6111 But Tom Allen, director of Australian energy and utilities research with UBS, said the markets focus would be on the long-term viability of black coal-fired generators in NSW, particularly amid the NSW governments plan to ramp up renewable energy investment, which will place prices under further pressure. Sev.en has shown a clear interest in energy businesses in Australia, ensuring that it is well-placed to provide reliable generation through the energy transition, he said. Coal supplies NSW with an average of 63 percent of its energy requirements, while the National Energy Market average is 59 percent. This will benefit customers, employees and system security for all energyusers.. Vales Point power station is a major source of NOx on the Central Coast and beyond. [1], In 2017 it was valued at $732 million, and was estimated to make part-owner energy entrepreneur and former National Party candidate Trevor St Baker a half billionaire. 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. Eraring power station closure: NSW taxpayers could foot part of the Officials from the department told Senate Estimates in March that they were aware that Shine Energy was likely to fail to deliver a bankable feasibility study into a proposed Collinsville coal fired power station after an audit undertaken by the Australian National Audit Office found the $4 million in grant funding awarded to the company was not enough to ensure the study could be completed. Coal transport and infrastructure in Australia, Key developments in coal mining and power in Australia in 2012, Financing coal power stations in Australia, Underwriting New Generation Investments program, "Delivering affordable and reliable power", "Federal government shortlists upgrade of Vales Point power station turbine", https://www.gem.wiki/w/index.php?title=Vales_Point_A_power_station_(replacement)&oldid=241402, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. If the sale goes through, it will continue to pollute long past its slated 2029 closure date. It just staggers me that Australia is so far behind the rest of the world which is switching to renewables while were still talking about projects like this, Ms Wynn said. Lake Macquarie Home Fishing Fishing closures, restrictions and permits Lake Macquarie The above closures are generated from the Fisheries Management (General) Regulation 2019 unless otherwise specified. Vales Point Power Station - Wikipedia In an application to the EPA, the power stations owners had requested a further five-year license exemption which allowed for the emission of more than 800mg per cubic metre of nitrogen oxide (NOx) per day. There are three methods to extract hydrogen. Coal is carbon. With this acquisition we will significantly strengthen our presence in Australia, said Sev.en chief executive Alan Svoboda. who bought Vales Point power station from the NSW Government for a song in 2015, The power station offloaded by the NSW Government for $1 million suddenly has a future, clean up a huge part of the power stations ash dam, a dramatic increase in fine particle pollution, Department of Planning gives green light for Vales Point solar energy project, NSW Ports labels Newcastle container terminal 'white elephant' in parliamentary inquiry submission, Former professional surfer Jake Sylvester rescues swimmer at Merewether Beach, Wollombi Music Festival bans Wicked camper vans, National Farmers Federation and Agriculture Minister slam Aussie Farms interactive map of Australian properties, Train replica gives Newcastle something to choo on, Jets captain questions referee calls in controversial loss to Wellington, Police seek help to find 59-year-old missing from West Wallsend, Four assaulted in armed home invasion by five men wearing balaclavas, Toohey's News: Twin Towers key to Knights' rebuild, Terms and Conditions - Digital Subscription, Terms and Conditions - Newspaper Subscription. Vales point already has an exemption licence to pollute over and above NSW emission controls. Vales Point was originally equipped with three turbo-alternators of 200 MW supplied by the English Electric (unit nos. AGL Energy announced it would move the. In order to supply coal to the station, three mines were opened; Chain Valley Colliery, Newvale No.1 Colliery and Wyee State Mine. The sale price was not included in the press statement released on Saturday, December 17. Leading Edge Energy is proud to be a signatory of the National Customer Code for Energy Brokers, Consultants and Retailers. Coal plant closures loom large as NSW backs hydrogen for the Hunter. [9][10][11], Vales Point Power Station was used as the location for the Midnight Oil US Forces music video.[12][13]. Hoping that this means by 2029 transporting and storage of toxic coal dust via the eyesore transport chanel located over Rutleys road will cease and be dismantled ? Its coal. This site uses "cookies" to give you the best experience on this website. Given that the ongoing operation of the Vales Point power station remains subject to market forces, and noting the current forecast closure date of 2029 may come forward or be deferred on the strength of these market forces, the benefits arising from the remaining life of Vales Point power station and the proposed project have been diminished by the passage of time, Delta said. The Hunter Hydrogen Hub will drive new low carbon jobs and help to set up the regionfor the future, Mr Kean will say. A spokesperson for Delta Energy said there were no plans for Vales Point to go the same way as Eraring. Health at GoPetition. Significant places & items of interest in the, New South Wales Environment Protection Authority, "NSW government sells Vales Point power station for $1m", Australian Financial Review (Subscription Required), "Vales Point power station privatisation put before auditor-general", "Plunging energy prices sink Vales Point power station", "St Baker and Flannery cash in on Vales Point coal plant in sale to Czechs", "Vales Point Power Station emission exemption application open for public comment", "New Vales Point pollution controls don't go far enough for environment groups", "Environment & Heritage | POEO Licences, Application and Notice Detail", "Strict new operating limits for Vales Point Power Station from 1 January", Electricity Commission of New South Wales, EnergyAustralia (state government enterprise), Sydney County Council (Sydney Electricity), List of power stations in New South Wales, Newcastle and Suburban Co-operative Society, Walsh Island Dockyard & Engineering Works, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vales_Point_Power_Station&oldid=1112958126, Coal-fired power stations in New South Wales, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Infobox mapframe without OSM relation ID on Wikidata, Thermal power station articles using Infobox power station, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, New England County Council (New England Electricity), North West County Council (North West Electricity), Northern Riverina County Council (Northern Riverina Electricity), Northern Rivers County Council (Northern Rivers Electricity), Peel-Cunningham County Council (PCCC Electricity), Shortland County Council (Shortland Electricity), Southern Mitchell County Council (Southern Mitchell Electricity), Southern Riverina County Council (Southern Riverina Electricity), Southern Tablelands County Council (Southern Tablelands Electricity), This page was last edited on 29 September 2022, at 00:23.