Victorian Coal: National Energy Market’s most unreliable source experiencing breakdown after breakdown!

Victorian Coal: National Energy Market’s most unreliable source experiencing breakdown after breakdown!

Victorian Coal power accounts for approximately 13% of the National Electricity Market’s gas and coal usage, but 32% of its gas and coal breakdowns according to TAI ( The Australian Institute)
A new report has highlighted that Victoria’s gas and coal power institutes are the most unreliable in Australia, labelling Loy Yang A and Yallourn W plants as the least reliable due to having the highest number of breakdowns in the country. TAI has vigilantly been watching these plants under a project called ‘Gs and Coal watch’ this initiative has started since 2017 which has since recorded over 185 breakdowns at gas and coal plants with a whopping 64 occurring in Victoria power stations alone. Yallourn W has since been labelled as least reliable with approximately 17.9 break downs, whilst its competitor Loy Yang A’s was just as poor performing 10 break downs.

Solar Energy is said to run smoothly and remains a viable option for energy.

The Australian Institute states the solution for Victoria’s poor performing gas and coal plants is to turn to renewables for reliability. Earlier this year 40% of Victoria’s coal power plants were out of action due to a heatwave which causes them to close, during this time solar energy continued to take the heat and fed the state with a reliable source of energy.
Over the years of optimised research, Solar energy has been consistent in over stepping gas and coal plants where they have failed. While coal energy continues to fail on extreme heat days, Australians are able to turn to solar for a consistent supply of energy. Richie Merzian, Director of the Australian Institute climate and energy programme states
“ It’s time Victoria expedited the transition over to clean energy and that means shutting down brown coal fired power stations over the next decade”.

Yallourn Power Station, which has emitted the utmost highest level of climate pollution of any power station in the country, is currently going to keep generating energy until its closure in 2032. Its closure fits in line with the promises made by the Government prior to the election earlier this year, having an increase in renewables by 2020.

 

Article Source:

Carey, A. (2019, June 16). Victoria’s coal-fired power plants the least reliable in the country. Retrieved from https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/victoria-s-coal-fired-power-plants-the-least-reliable-in-the-country-20190614-p51xvb.html 

 

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