Category: Archive

Howard follows Bush into a nuclear solution future

admin /28 February, 2006

Nuclear Energy Academy admits it’s in joint ventures to build Australian nuclear power plants as Howard reignites nuclear debate
Australian foundation member of the International Nuclear Energy
Academy Leslie Kemeny said he was “already involved in a joint venture
with a number of companies – both Australian and American – to build
nuclear power plants in Australia”, reported The Australian Financial Review (25/2/2006, p.6).

PM sparks nuclear debate: Progress on assisting the development
of the uranium industry came as Prime Minister John Howard reignited
the nuclear energy debate – in the middle of the South Australian
election – when he told The Weekend Australian Financial Review on 24 February that he had an open mind on the establishment of a nuclear industry in Australia.

Greens stick to anti-nuclear: Greens senator Christine Milne
rejected the suggestion there was any dilemma for the Greens in nuclear
energy. “We understand the need for action against carbon emissions and
we understand that nuclear energy is no solution,” she said.

Economically unviable: “Taxpayers would have to subsidise it
because it is so expensive. The reason countries like Germany are
moving away from it and Japan is moving so quickly into solar energy is
they understand how unviable nuclear energy is on a purely economic
basis – that’s before we address issues like waste, accidents and use
in weaponry.

Howard follows Bush on energy: “It is no coincidence that a week
after George Bush talks about ending his country’s addiction to oil by
going nuclear, John Howard starts talking nuclear for Australia,” Milne
added.

Labour’s anti-uranium policy undermines mining investors in S.A

admin /27 February, 2006

The director of venture capitalist Lion Selection, Howard Walker, said
it was a “ludicrous” situation that many companies were exploring for
uranium but couldn’t mine it because of Labor’s policy, reported The Australian Financial Review (25/2/2006, p.47).

Exports the basis for mining: “Companies are exploring on the
basis that they’ll be able to export – because there is a lot of demand
offshore for nuclear energy – or that there is a change in the appetite
in Australia for it,” Walker said.

19pc mining stake: Lion Selection has a 19 per cent stake in
mining company Havilah Resources, in turn the owner of a 52 per cent of
uranium explorer Curnamona Energy, which operates in South Australia.
Curnamona’s stock has fallen 1¢ to 41¢.

State-based Labor debate: Eley Griffiths portfolio manager Brian
Eley agreed that the industry in Australia was at the mercy of Labor.
“It’s not like nuclear power is new, 18 per cent of the world’s
electrical power is nuclear, but mining law is state-based and it is
very much a Labor Party debate.”

“Fireball explosion” engulfs father and son after flagpole hits an overhead power line

admin /27 February, 2006

“Fireball explosion” engulfs father and son after flagpole hits an overhead power line
A “fireball explosion” engulfed a father and son on 24 February when
they put up a flagpole which hit an overhead power line, reported The Daily Telegraph (25/2/2006, p.10).

Critical condition: The pair were putting up an aluminium pole
for an advertisement at their Amber Tiles store in Charlestown
(Newcastle NSW) when it hit the overhead wires. The contact sparked a
fire that caught the father, 47, and son, 19, as they worked. The two
men, who have not been named, are in critical conditions.

Deal to save Sumatran Forest

admin /26 February, 2006

After years of ongoing battles in the Sumatran rainforest, the World Wildlife Fund and logging company Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings (APRIL) have negotiated an agreement allowing APRIL to continue logging outside the Tesso Nilo national park. Environmental activists have maintained an ongoing watch on the island, reporting repeated breaches of the law and international Continue Reading →

Report claims gas-fired generation more cost-effective source of greenhouse gas abatement than wind

admin /26 February, 2006

Gas-fired generation was a more cost-effective source of greenhouse gas
abatement than wind generation, Origin Energy said in a submission to
Victoria’s Department of Infrastructure.

Half the cost, twice the reduction in emissions: In its
submission responding to the Department’s issues paper on “Driving
investment in renewable energy in Victoria – Options for a Victorian
market-based measure”, Origin said that at about half the economic
cost, a gas-fired power station reduced emissions up to twice as much
as a wind turbine.

Better utilisation of gas-fired power station: It said this was
because of better utilisation of the gas-fired power station and the
relatively low emission intensity of gas-fired electricity, which made
gas at least four times more cost-effective on a dollar a tonne carbon
dioxide ($/CO2) basis than wind.

Assumptions made in claim: In a footnote, Origin said this
assumed conventional coal-fired generation was being displaced,
resulting in abatement of emissions and assumed capital utilisation
equal to capital availability and emissions intensity of gas-fired
electricity of 0.4/tCO2e and 0.0/tCO2e for the wind turbine.

Government policy can alter investment economics: Origin said
Government policy that directly induced renewable generation investment
would potentially alter the economics of prospective gas-fired
generation investments by virtue of the impact that wind generation had
on the wholesale price.

Delay in investment possible: At best, such a policy was likely
to delay investment in prospective gas-fired generation and at worst,
limit the size of generation installed (or possibly displace it all
together).

Council of Australian Governments favours energy efficiency as best way to cut greenhouse emissions

admin /26 February, 2006

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) acknowledged the
significant role energy efficiency had to play in reducing greenhouse
gas emissions, and in reducing requirements for future investments in
energy supply and infrastructure, in the communique from its February
meeting.

$50bn spent on energy: Energy users currently spent $50 billion
annually on energy. It is widely considered that many businesses and
households can save 10-30 per cent of their energy costs without
reducing productivity or comfort levels.

COAG favours energy efficiency for emissions cuts: Energy
efficiency consistently proved to be the most cost-effective of
Australia’s responses to greenhouse gases. Government support for
energy efficiency can deliver net benefits where it facilitates
resource and capital efficiencies that exceed the cost of the
government support. Such support can unlock these efficiencies by
overcoming barriers to the efficient use of energy.

Progress made on national framework: The important role of
energy efficiency has been recognised by the Ministerial Council on
Energy (MCE), which developed a National Framework for Energy
Efficiency (NFEE) to define future directions for energy efficiency
policy and programs. COAG noted that the MCE was progressing stage one
of the NFEE and that progress is also beginning on what will be
included in stage two.

States and feds support demand-side: Jurisdictions noted and
support the proposal in the Review of National Competition Policy for
COAG to task the MCE to develop a work program from 2006 to establish
effective demand-side response mechanisms in the electricity market.