EnergyAustralia issues greenhouse emissions data

EnergyAustralia, one of Australia’s leading energy retailers, today said its emissions of carbon-dioxide equivalent from generating electricity fell by 1.6 million tonnes or 7 per cent in the 12 months ended 30 June 2019.

Overall, the company’s electricity generation assets emitted 20.1 million tonnes of CO₂. Generation output overall was down for the period while the Yallourn, Mt Piper and Jeeralang power stations, accounting for 90.8 per cent, recorded improved emissions intensity performance.

“Just as we have a responsibility to keep the lights on and produce the power households and businesses need, especially at the height of summer, reducing the emissions we produce is a priority for EnergyAustralia,” said Liz Westcott, EnergyAustralia Executive – Energy.

“That’s why we continue to upgrade our power stations so they’re more efficient. We’re also pursuing lower-emissions technologies like an expansion of our Tallawarra gas plant and we buy millions of dollars of renewable energy for our customers every year.”

Last year EnergyAustralia invested more than $180 million to maintain and upgrade its power plants, including improvements at the Hallett and Jeeralang plants. In 2020 work will begin to upgrade the Mt Piper power station in New South Wales.

The company’s carbon intensity – a measure of efficiency based on the carbon emitted per MWh of electricity produced – increased by 1.8% as electricity generation at some of the company’s more efficient gas-fired plants were restricted for maintenance.

The emissions data for the company’s power plants in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia were submitted for inclusion in the CER’s latest National Greenhouse and Energy Report. The report, due to be released sometime in February 2020, provides the community, industry and government with information about greenhouse emissions across Australia.

Notes to editors:

• “Scope 1” or direct emissions from the Yallourn power station in Victoria fell almost 3 per cent in the 12 months ended 30 June 2019, reflecting improvements to one of the plant’s four generating units and the availability of better-quality coal.
• The Mt Piper plant’s emissions fell 13 per cent as the plant experienced issues with coal supply.
• Emissions from the Newport gas power station fell 29 per cent as maintenance was done while at the gas-fired Jeeralang plant emissions rose 19 per cent with the asset increasing output to meet demand. Emissions from the Tallawarra gas power station fell 35 per cent.
• In 2019 EnergyAustralia invested more than $180 million in its power plants. This program added 90-megawatts to the system, enough to supply an additional 17,500 homes on a hot day.
• Part of the $180 million includes construction of a new fast-start gas generator at Hallett power station in South Australia, worth another 30-megawatts (MW) to the system, enough electricity to power an additional 11,000 South Australian homes.
• The company announced plans to invest more than $80 million in operational upgrades at the Mt Piper power station to expand the plant’s capacity by 60 megawatts, or enough electricity to power an additional 55,000 New South Wales homes.
• EnergyAustralia partnered with energy distribution company, Jemena, for the Energy Saving Rewards program that provides customers living in North West Melbourne with bill credits if they reduce their energy usage to help reduce strain on the electricity grid.
• The EnergyAustralia Demand Response community in Australia increased by 14,000. More than 20,000 customers have signed up to the initiative which in the year freed around 7,215 kWh of capacity on 10 high-demand days, the equivalent to streaming Netflix continuously for seven years in High Definition.
• EnergyAustralia has the rights to more than 800 MW worth of renewable energy. Through our long-term renewable agreements worth $3 billion, we underpin 11 per cent of the large-scale wind and solar projects in the National Electricity Market, enough to meet the needs of around 320,000 homes for a year.
• EnergyAustralia recently published a Carbon Neutral by 2050 paper that provides an overview of the company’s commitments and climate credentials: energyaustralia.com.au/Carbon-Neutral-by-2050

* Scope 1 emissions are released into the atmosphere as a direct result of an activity, or series of activities at a facility. Scope 2 emissions are indirect greenhouse gas emissions from consumption of purchased electricity, heat or steam. Most scope 2 emissions represent electricity consumption but can include other forms of energy transferred across facility boundaries.