Loud 'No' to Coal Power in Taranaki

 

Aug 15 - Daily News; New Plymouth, New Zealand

SUGGESTIONS that Taranaki could be the site for construction of a series of coal-fired power stations has been savaged by environmental watchdog Greenpeace.

"There's no room for dirty old coal -- not now, not ever," says the organisation in a statement to the Taranaki Daily News.

Greenpeace was responding to a recent article which outlined the contents of a think-piece document, called Future Currents, produced by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment on how New Zealand might meet its electricity needs between now and 2050.

This document looks at two scenarios, one of which forecasts a massive increase in the use of coal to generate power. It says that by 2040 coal may be generating 15 times more electricity than this year.

And it suggests that much of this new coal generation will be in Taranaki, because the by-then dry Maui gas field will have been developed into what is known as a carbon sequestration site. Carbon emissions from the power stations would be fed to the former field along the old gas pipelines, then pumped underground.

But Greenpeace dismisses all of this.

"We cannot rely on carbon sequestration as an excuse to continue to rely on fossil fuels. The money being spent by the fossil fuel industry on researching this technology would be better spent on renewable energy," it says.

Greenpeace says the think-piece document points out that if coal is used as a power generation fuel, carbon dioxide emissions in 2050 will be increased by 520% over 1990 levels.

"Such an increase in CO< "Make no mistake, given the reality of climate change, there is no place for coal-fired power in our future.

"Coal is the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel, emitting 72% more carbon dioxide per unit of energy than gas.

"From mine to sky, it contaminates every step of the way. From acid drainage from coal mines polluting rivers and streams, to the release of cancer-causing dioxins and other toxins when it is burned, as well as pollution-forming gases and fine particulates that wreak havoc on human health, coal is a dirty business."

Greenpeace says the coal industry recognises its role in climate change and has embarked on a public relations offensive in an attempt to save itself.

"As part of this offensive it has made bold claims about clean coal technology -- when the fact is that there is no such thing as clean coal.

"These technologies simply transfer toxins from one waste stream to another, and some of them actually increase CO< The statement says the Future Currents document invites everyone to think about how New Zealand uses and generates electricity, and invites innovation in the face of such challenges as climate change and energy security.

It sets out two very different futures, one which relies on fossil fuels and which would vastly increase New Zealand's contribution to global climate change, while the other relies on energy efficiency and renewable energy such as wind and solar.

"Future Currents has set out clear options for New Zealand. What Greenpeace would like to see is the Government setting out its vision of a clean and sustainable energy future, then setting in place policies for us to get there," says the statement.

"Right now, as we've done for the last 50 years, we lurch from crisis to crisis, with our energy responses based on panic rather than strategic thinking.

"If we continue down this path, we will end up with a future powered by coal, showered in toxins and in a global warming world."