ACA And NSWMC Welcome NSW Government's $100 Million For Clean Coal

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11th April 2008, 05:26pm - Views: 854



Media Release


April 11, 2008

ACA and NSWMC welcome NSW Government's $100 million for
Clean Coal

The establishment of a NSW Clean Coal Council has been welcomed as another step in improved coordination
between government and industry in fast-tracking low emission technologies to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from electricity production.

In a joint release today, the Australian Coal Association and the New South Wales Minerals Council said close
cooperation between government and the coal industry was essential if effective low emissions technologies are
to be demonstrated and deployed at a commercial level.

The new Council will be created under legislation introduced in Parliament today. It will comprise five members
appointed by the Government and five by industry to administer a $100 million NSW Coal Fund which will
support the development and acceleration of low emission technologies in NSW.

ACA Executive Director Mr. Ralph Hillman said that the coal industry was looking forward to participating in the
Council as it identifies and implements effective new clean coal demonstration projects.

The coal industry would participate in funding demonstration projects in NSW via its $1 billion COAL21 Fund
which was established in 2006 from a voluntary levy on coal production.

"Our aim is to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of clean coal technologies so that electricity
utilities will be able to deploy them on a commercial scale before 2020 in Australia and overseas," Mr Hillman
said.

The fund has already committed some $50 million dollars to projects in NSW, he said.

"The additional funds from the NSW Clean Coal Council and the collaboration between industry and Government
in NSW will allow us to build upon the excellent progress which has been made in NSW to date," said NSW
Minerals Council Chief Executive Officer Dr Nikki Williams.

"At Munmorah on the NSW Central Coast researchers from CSIRO and Delta electricity are developing potentially
the first combined post combustion capture technology which can be retrofitted to an existing black coal plant.

"It is also well advanced in identifying sites to store carbon dioxide deep underground.

"The coal industry is worth $8.5 billion a year in NSW alone and its value is growing. Low emission technologies
will allow us to reduce our carbon footprint while maintaining cost efficient energy supplies in Australia and
worldwide," said Dr Williams.


For further Information contact:
Peter Logue ACA (0402 067 614)
Marion Downey NSWMC (0438 280 073)




BACKGROUND: CLEAN COAL TECHNOLOGIES IN NSW

A combined carbon capture and storage project already underway in NSW could see the State develop
potentially the first combined CCS technology which can be retrofitted to an existing coal plant, said Dr
Williams.
On the NSW Central Coast at the Munmorah Power Plant, researchers from CSIRO and Delta Electricity
are trialling the country's first black coal pilot capture plant capturing the carbon dioxide as it is
released.
The Post Combustion Capture (PCC) facility which is expected to be operational by mid 2008, will
capture greenhouse gas emissions from Munmorah using ammonia absorption technology
This will be the first time such technology which can be used on new or existing power stations, will be
seen in action in Australia
This is the first stage in a $150million demonstration clean coal project to reduce greenhouse emissions
from power stations in NSW. It is unique in that it will integrate carbon capture and storage with an
operational coal-fired power station
CCS involves trapping carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from industrial processes, such as power
generation from fossil fuels, and piping them deep underground or offshore below the seabed
At the same time, sophisticated mapping techniques are being used to identify suitable storage sites
across the State
The Sydney Basin and Darling Basin Reservoir Prediction Studies are aimed at a better understanding
of the storage potential for CO2 in New South Wales.
Until now there has been a real misconception that there is no potential for geological storage of CO2 in
NSW - mainly arising from a lack of information on the deeper regional geology in the State.
In fact these studies show that NSW has the potential for the storage of CO2.
Initial results from the Darling Basin study, jointly funded by the three NSW Power Generators Delta
Electricity, Macquarie Generation and Eraring Energy in conjunction with the NSW Department of
Primary Industries, have shown that the Darling Basin in central NSW has significant potential for the
large scale storage of CO2 into deep saline aquifers.
To date 16 areas of interest in the Darling Basin as having potential depths suitable for CO2
sequestration.



For further Information contact:
Marion Downey NSWMC (0438 280 073



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