Archived News for Energy Sector Professionals

The Queensland Government has announced plans to legislate to protect electricity customers from early termination fees if they choose to change companies.

The Queensland Government has announced Cocaktoo Coal has been given the go ahead to prepare an environmental impact statement for its North Surat-Taroom coal project.

The South Australian Government has announced it has granted final approval for the construction of the state’s largest windfarm.

The Federal $200 million Clean Technology Innovation Program has been launched and is now open for applications.

Studies into producing renewable energy from almond waste and the potential for concentrated solar thermal technologies will share in more than $117,000 in funding under the  Emerging Renewables Program.

The Federal Government has announced a $2.3 million grant under its Emerging Renewables Program (ERP) to assist BlueScope Steel’s $5 million development of a prototype building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system.

Australia Pacific LNG has announced plans to develop a second 4.5 million per annum production train for the coal seam gas to liquefied natural gas project on Curtis Island off Gladstone in Queensland.

The Australian Energy Research Institute (AERI) at the University of New South Wales has appointed George Maltabarow – an energy specialist who previously headed up Ausgrid, Australia’s largest electricity network as its inaugural Chairman.

Delta Energy has announced the imminent closure of its New South Wales Munmorah Power Station after 45 years of operation. The station has been maintained on standby since late 2010.

A new report published by the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics (BREE) confirms that the increasingly strong demand for commodities has confirmed the massive infrastructure demand in Australia’s regions.

AGL Energy Limited has completed the purchase of the remaining 67.46 % of shares and loan notes issued by Great Energy Alliance Corporation Pty Limited (GEAC) that it did not already own, for a value of $448 million.

AGL has also confirmed that GEAC has received from the Federal Government a cash payment of $240.1 million as part of the carbon assistance arrangements.

This transaction makes AGL the owner of the 2,210 MW Loy Yang A power station and a brown coal mine which supplies all the coal required to meet the current and future operating requirements of the power station. It brings AGL’s owned or controlled generation capacity to 6,000 MW.1

Managing Director and CEO, Michael Fraser, said: “Loy Yang gives AGL strategic benefits that will underpin the company’s growth in the years ahead. The power station provides 30 per cent of Victoria’s energy needs and is one of the lowest cost generators in the National Electricity Market.

“Loy Yang does not change AGL’s commitment to a sustainable energy future. We will continue to invest in renewable energy generation projects to retain our leadership position in the renewable industry,” said Mr Fraser.

In May the Federal Court of Australia ordered that the undertakings given in 2004 in connection with AGL's acquisition of its interests in GEAC be discharged with effect from 22 June 2012.

The Clean Energy Council has welcomed the commencement of the carbon price, saying it represents a key step in the transformation of Australia’s energy sector.

Downer EDI Limited has been awarded a contract valued at more than $175 million by Western Power to construct a new transmission line in Western Australia.

The Commonwealth Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (DRET) together with the Energy Users Association of Australia (EUAA) has developed an energy procurement and demand management resource for large Australian energy users.

The Queensland Government has terminated its $75 million funding deed to the 250 megawatt Solar Dawn project in Chinchilla and the future of the project is now uncertain.  

The Federal Government has announced the extension of its Contract for Closure Program, citing ongoing complex negotiations.

The Queensland Government has frozen the cost of the standard residential tariff (Tariff 11) at 2011-12 rates from the start of this month in a bid to offset Origin Energy’s price changes.

The Australian Government has announced a two-year restructuring package to allow the Latrobe Valley’s Energy Brix Australia Corporation to maintain briquette production while regional businesses that rely on briquettes transition to a cleaner fuel source.

Briquettes produced by Energy Brix are used by around 50 businesses nationwide as part of their operations.  Currently, there is no alternative supplier of cost effective briquettes and making the transition to other cleaner forms of fuel or feedstock will take time and investment.

As a result, the Government will provide $50 million through a restructuring package to help the Latrobe Valley-based company maintain its production of briquettes for a limited period of time so that downstream users have the required time and certainty to switch to cleaner fuels, such as gas.

This restructuring package is in addition to payments of Energy Brix’s entitlements to transitional assistance under the Energy Security Fund.

The businesses that rely on briquettes range from abattoirs, horticultural and char producers, food processors, dairy processing plants and generators and together employ more than 2500 people throughout regional communities.

The restructuring package will help ensure Energy Brix is better equipped to meet its obligations with respect to site rehabilitation and employee entitlements.

Energy Brix customers that satisfy the eligibility criteria will be able to apply for grants from these Clean Technology Programs for projects that for example switch their in-house energy production to clean energy sources.

The Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education will manage the transition arrangements.

Yanzhou Coal backed Yancoal has listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) following the successful merging with Gloucester Coal and specific assets of the previously unlisted portfolio of Yancoal Australia. The company is one of the largest pure-play coal companies in the country.

The Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson has announced the final board appointments and the chief executive officer to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).