Australian coal plant in 'extraordinary' survival experiment
Australia's coal-fired power industry is struggling with financial challenges and adapting to renewable energy, with analysts predicting a significant decline in coal generation over the next decade.
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Australia's coal-fired power industry is facing significant challenges as it adapts to the increasing dominance of renewable energy sources, particularly solar power. AGL's Bayswater power station recently achieved a notable milestone by successfully implementing a "two-shifting" operation, allowing it to turn off and on within a single day. This flexibility is crucial as coal plants traditionally operated continuously at full capacity. However, the industry is also grappling with financial difficulties, as exemplified by Delta's Vales Point coal plant, which has struggled to secure necessary bank financing due to environmental concerns. Delta's inability to obtain financial backing could lead to operational challenges, as it may not meet the Australian Energy Market Operator's requirements without a bank guarantee. Analysts suggest that while innovations like two-shifting may prolong the life of some coal plants, the overall outlook for coal-fired generation in Australia remains bleak, with expectations that it will decline significantly over the next decade. The financial pressures from banks and the push for decarbonization are likely to accelerate this transition away from coal.
- AGL's Bayswater power station successfully implemented a flexible operation model, allowing for on-and-off cycling within a day.
- Delta's Vales Point coal plant faces financial challenges due to a lack of bank support, impacting its operational viability.
- The rise of renewable energy is forcing coal plants to adapt or risk obsolescence.
- Analysts predict a significant decline in coal-fired generation in Australia over the next ten years.
- Financial institutions are increasingly reluctant to support fossil fuel projects without credible decarbonization plans.
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- Many commenters view the decline of coal as a positive step towards reducing carbon emissions, despite potential job losses.
- Concerns are raised about the reliability of renewable energy sources and the need for effective energy storage solutions.
- Some express skepticism about the trustworthiness of energy companies in managing the transition responsibly.
- There are discussions about the technical challenges of operating aging coal plants under new conditions.
- A few commenters advocate for nuclear power as a viable alternative to coal and a solution for baseload energy needs.
13 commentsMore pressure from banks, insurances and legislation to limit the development and usage of coal to produce electricity? I can understand there's going to be job losses, and that's never good, but for the benefit of the rest of the world it's a pretty good news. Finally a change in attitude towards carbon intensive energy production.
One interesting detail was that the more rapid startup and cooldown of turbines meant that blade spacing couldn't be as tight as before, reducing efficiency during operation. (The turbine casing has less thermal mass than the rotor, and hence contracts faster during cooldown. The spacing of the blades needs to account for this.)
This stuff really isn't designed to be throttled up and down like a yo-yo. I'm amazed they were able to do it at all, and seem confident they can keep it up.
Congratulations on phasing out your margin of error... Now are your trade and foreign policy divisions going to get serious, or we content patting ourselves on the back here?
1. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/china-has-more-than-...
But I think we've seen there can be no trust there and so this is a bad thing that will help the coal industry survive. I'm not saying other industries are "good" but this industry is definitely evil.
It is very good news that the banks are refusing to finance the fossil fuel greed heads and vandals.
China is already building between 6 to 8 nuclear power plants a year and plans to expand that number to 10 a year.
It's nothing compared to all the other sources of power they are creating, but it seems to me that rather than investing in mass battery storage, a few dozen modern nuclear power plants would be a good idea.
Assuming, of course, you can actually get costs down and cut through red tape like China can.
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