Delta Energy’s plans for Vales Point power station at Mannering Park will go unchanged despite the announcement by Origin Energy on February 17 that it will close Eraring – Australia’s largest power station – seven years early.
Eraring is now scheduled for closure in 2025 and will leave Vales Point as the last electricity-generating station standing on Lake Macquarie, however, Vales Point is also scheduled for nominal closure in 2029.
A spokesperson for Delta Energy said there were no plans for Vales Point to go the same way as Eraring.
“The announcement today by Original doesn’t change Vales Point’s position,” said the spokesperson.
DPE is currently assessing an application by Delta to consolidate and expand its Chain Valley and Mannering collieries.
It is also gearing up to invest more in the business as it seeks approval for a license to allow mining to continue until 2029.
“We continue to invest in the reliability of Vales Point to its notional closure in 2029.
“We will continue to invest in the station both for ongoing energy needs and for system security,” said the spokesperson.
Transition to renewables
Transitioning the Hunter and Central Coast from a fossil fuels manufacturing base to one of renewable generation is underway.
Only this week did the Federal Government flag that commercial interest in the Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) has been significant.
Commercial interest has been registered in 24 solar energy projects; 13 onshore and seven offshore wind energy projects; 35 large-scale batteries and eight pumped hydro projects.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, said the results of the registration of interest showed that the region was set to reap the jobs and investment rewards from the transformation of the energy system.
“The REZ will not only attract investment in clean energy, it will also underpin the growth of new low-carbon industries such as green hydrogen, ammonia and metals production which the world is going to need as it decarbonises,” Mr Crouch said.
The NSW Government has responded to the closure of Eraring by saying that to ensure energy reliability, it will work with industry partners to install the Waratah Super Battery, a 700MW/1400MWh grid battery, by 2025 to release grid capacity “so Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong consumers can access more energy from existing electricity generation.”
Emissions limits
In December last year, Vales Point was issued with an order to limit its emissions of nitrogen oxide.
In an application to the EPA, the power stations owners had requested a further five-year license exemption which allowed for the emission of more than 800mg per cubic metre of nitrogen oxide (NOx) per day.
The EPA granted Delta an exemption to the licence, however, the exemption went hand in hand with an order to reduce daily levels.
Nicola Riches
Hoping that this means by 2029 transporting and storage of toxic coal dust via the eyesore transport chanel located over Rutleys road will cease and be dismantled ?