Gorgon WA CO2 dump, energy efficiency, nuclear power the way to go, Chevron chief and APEC sponsor, tells APEC leaders

Efficiency was the world’s cheapest and most plentiful form of new energy, wrote Dave O’Reilly, chair and chief executive of Chevron, in The Australian (3/9/2007, p.16). “The US National Petroleum Council (NPC) study concluded that new technologies could improve US vehicle efficiency 50 per cent by 2030 and appliances such as refrigerators more than 20 per cent. A 40 per cent improvement in efficiency in developing Asia would save roughly 10 per cent of global energy consumption. We also need to integrate more alternative and renewable sources into the supply mix and continue to develop nuclear power.

Talks-up Gorgon WA CO2 dump: “The second pathway to overcoming our energy challenges is through the development of new technologies that can help the world expand its energy supply while reducing its environmental footprint. To cite a few examples, in Australia, Chevron is working with its partners on a massive carbon sequestration project at Gorgon, off the northwest coast of Western Australia. This technology, which would allow carbon to be captured and stored underground, holds the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of oil, coal and natural gas.”

The Australian, 3/9/2007,

APEC has “no future” if leaders fail to agree on firm emissions targets, warns Australian opposition leader, Rudd

The Prime Minister moved to pre-empt criticism that the APEC leaders’ meeting had failed on climate change before it had even begun, reported The Australian (3/9/2007, p.1).

Post-Kyoto consensus: Howard initially proposed climate change as a topic for the APEC world leaders’ agenda, but yesterday he conceded he had no hope of forcing APEC’s 21 member nations - particularly the developing countries - to agree to binding emissions targets. Kevin Rudd warned that APEC “had no future” if the leaders failed to agree to firm emissions targets. “What I would like to see the APEC meeting in Sydney do is develop a consensus on a post-Kyoto international framework that attracts participation by all emitters,” Howard said.

Harbour cruise for leaders: The APEC summit began yesterday with meetings of officials and a cruise on Sydney Harbour for business delegates. By week’s end, all 21 international leaders would be in Sydney. The intenstive security clamp-down in Sydney was essential to ensure the safety of the APEC summit, and any inconvenience should be blamed on those who use violence to send a message, Howard said.

Data shows goofy Y-Gen Loy Yang A APEC protest at Melbourne electricity plant cut back capacity 600 MW, 3 September

The average Australian Victoria region price for the day of the two-coal-conveyor-belt stoppages by goofy Y-Gen, APEC climate-change protesters was not markedly affected by the 5-hour action.

Potential capacity was cut back around 600MW from a possible 1600MW-plus. The gap was filled by the gas or distallate-fuelled wprt units. This may have raised average price from the $30-40 forecast, as the Loy Yang  uses brown coal - the lowest-cost fossil-fuel in the NEM. The  average Victorian price was $51.17/MWh, up 31 per cent on the $39.14/MWh on Friday, the previous week day, up 89 per cent on the $27.04/MWh of the comparable Monday last year; maximum price $94.42/MWh for the trading interval ended 1900EST. Average demand 6193MW, up 1.9 per cent on Friday, down 1.0 per cent on a year ago; maximum demand 7245MW for the 1900EST interval, up 4.0 per cent on the 6967MW of Friday.

Market report for Monday, 3 September: Average prices up 25-40pc to $48.42-$55.36/MWh range on higher demand: Spike in SA Average prices rose 25-40 per cent on Friday, the previous week day, to a range of $48.42-$55.36/MWh, with South Australia having a spike in one evening trading interval. System-wide maximum demand of 27,816MW was up 1376MW (5.2 per cent), with rises in all regions. Top price of the day was South Australia’s spike to $153.16/MWh in the 30-minute trading interval ended 1900EST. South Australia had the highest average price and Queensland the lowest. Temperature ranges in the NEM capitals were: Sydney 15-21 degrees (14-21 on Sunday); Melbourne 9-15 degrees (8-21); Adelaide 7-17 degrees (5-18), Brisbane 13-25 degrees (14-24) and Hobart 6-9 degrees (9-16).

Qld line outage cancelled: NEMMCO advised at 0726EST on Monday, 3 September that a planned outage of the 811 Bouldercombe to Gladstone 275kV line in Queensland, planned from 0700EST to 1700EST, had been cancelled and constraint set Q–BCGL_811 deleted.

Today in detail
• NSW: Average price $48.53/MWh, up 25 per cent on the $38.90/MWh of Friday, the previous week day, up 97 per cent on the $24.62/MWh of the comparable Monday last year; maximum price $91.09/MWh for the trading interval ended 1900EST. Average demand 8980MW, up 1.7 per cent on Friday, up 1.9 per cent on a year ago; maximum demand 10,491MW for the 1830EST interval, up 5.9 per cent on the 9909MW of Friday.

• Victoria: Average price $51.17/MWh, up 31 per cent on the $39.14/MWh on Friday, the previous week day, up 89 per cent on the $27.04/MWh of the comparable Monday last year; maximum price $94.42/MWh for the trading interval ended 1900EST. Average demand 6193MW, up 1.9 per cent on Friday, down 1.0 per cent on a year ago; maximum demand 7245MW for the 1900EST interval, up 4.0 per cent on the 6967MW of Friday.

• South Australia: Average price $55.36/MWh, up 40 per cent on the $39.49/MWh on Friday, the previous week day, up 87 per cent on the $29.53/MWh of the comparable Monday last year; maximum price $153.16/MWh for the trading interval ended 1900EST. Average demand 1599MW, up 8.1 per cent on Friday, down 4MW on a year ago; maximum demand 2005MW for the 1930EST interval, up 10.5 per cent on the 1814MW of Friday.

• Queensland: Average price $48.42/MWh, up 25 per cent on the $38.75/MWh on Friday, the previous week day, up 118 per cent on the $22.18/MWh of the comparable Monday last year; maximum price $90.47/MWh for the trading interval ended 1900EST. Average demand 5579MW, up 1.3 per cent on Friday, down 4.5 per cent on a year ago; maximum demand 6438MW for the 1900EST interval, up 2.8 per cent on Friday’s 6263MW.

• Tasmania: Average price $54.06/MWh, up 35 per cent on the $40.19/MWh on Friday, the previous week day, up 72 per cent on the $31.45/MWh of the comparable Monday last year; maximum price $87.05/MWh for the trading interval ended 1900EST. Average demand 1343MW, up 9.3 per cent on Friday, up 8.3 per cent on a year ago; maximum demand 1585MW for the 1900EST interval, up 10.7 per cent on the 1432MW of Friday.

Monday non-conformists: NEMMCO declared the following scheduled generating units non-conforming over rebids not received during the trading day of Monday, 3 September:
• The 500MW capacity Victorian generating unit Loy Yang A1 for -71MW from 0540EST to 0555EST and for 38MW from 1215EST to 1220EST.

• The 500MW capacity Victorian generating unit Loy Yang A2 for -71MW from 0540EST to 0555EST.

• The 200MW capacity Tasmanian generating unit Poatina 220 for -26MW from 0635EST to 0655EST.

• The 120MW capacity South Australian generating unit Torrens Island A4 for -13MW from 1850EST to 1905EST.

• The 150MW capacity Victorian Anglesea power station for -13MW from 2215EST to 2250EST.

Generation picture:
In NSW, Eraring 1 came back online in the 0530EST interval. Eraring 3 went off in the 1400EST interval. Liddell 3, Vale Point B5 and Munmorah 4 remained idle all day.

In Victoria, Anglesea 1 returned in the 1700EST interval. Loy Yang A4 and Yallourn 2 were off all day. The two West Kiewa units, the two Bairnsdale units the two Eildon units and Laverton North operated at various times during the day.

In South Australia, Northern 1 came back online in the 2130EST interval. Ladbroke Grove 1 operated in the intervals between 1000-2230EST and Ladbroke Grove 2 between 1000-2200EST. Torrens Island A4 returned in the 0500EST interval. Torrens Island B2 returned in the 1430EST interval. Anglesea, Torrens Island B4, Torrens Island A1, Torrens Island A2 and Torrens Island A3 were offline all day. Snuggery, Angaston 1 and Hallett operated at various times during the day.

In Queensland, Yabulu 2 returned to the grid in the 0530EST interval. Collinsville 2 came back in the 1030EST interval. Collinsville 3 and Collinsville 4 returned in the 0430EST interval. Collinsville 5 came back in the 0500EST interval. Kogan Creek, Tarong 3, Tarong 4, Stanwell 1, Callide B2, Gladstone 6 and Swanbank E were off the grid all day.

In Tasmania, Reece 2 went offline in the 2330EST interval. Gordon returned in the 0530EST interval.. Poatina 220, Reece 1, Reece 2, Poatina 220, Cethana, Tribute, Trevallyn and Devil’s Gate operated at various times during the day. Bell Bay 2, the three Bell Bay Three units, Woolnorth, Lake Echo, Repulse, Paloona, Cluny and Butler’s Gorge were offline all day.

Interconnector flows: The Victoria-South Australia Heywood interconnector averaged 154MW west, up 365.3 per cent on the average 33.10MW west on Friday, the previous week day. Murraylink averaged 3.96MW east, down 80.0 per cent on the average 19.77MW east on Friday. Vic-Snowy imports averaged 285MW, compared to average exports of 23.21MW on Friday. Snowy-NSW exports averaged 115MW, down 57.6 per cent on average exports of 271MW on Friday. QNI averaged 179MW south, down 2.2 per cent on the average 183MW south on Friday. Terranora averaged 31.16MW south, also down 2.2 per cent on the average 31.86MW south on Friday. Basslink averaged 45.30MW south, down 81.9 per cent on the average 250MW south on Friday.

Temperature ranges: The temperature ranges today were: Sydney 15-21 degrees, Melbourne 9-15, Adelaide 7-17, Brisbane 13-25 and Hobart 6-9.

No stopping or parking in Sydney CBD 1- 10 September: $185 for stopping; $156 tow-away, enforced by Police

No stopping or parking in almost all of Sydney CBD 1- 10 September: $185 for stopping in a clearway plus $156 tow-away, enforced by Police.

From Tuesday 4 September: Most clearways will come into effect from Tuesday 4 September, and include suburban arterial roads where increased traffic is expected as motorists avoid the CBD. These clearways are also needed to ensure access is available for security and emergency vehicles. Fines of $185 for stopping in a clearway and a $156 tow-away fee will be enforced by Police during APEC 2007 1 - 10 September 2007. The RTA is working closely with the APEC 2007 Taskforce, a division of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, responsible for coordinating and managing the logistics of the event and NSW Police Security Command regarding road closures and Special Event Clearways. RTA crews have installed more than 12,000 Special Event Clearway signs across Sydney in preparation for APEC.

Clearways in all directions outside city: As well as the Sydney CBD, clearway signs have been erected along the main arterial roads in the following suburbs:

* Alexandria, Redfern, Waterloo
* Burwood, Croydon, Ashfield
* Lane Cove, Drummoyne, Rozelle
* Mascot
* Neutral Bay, Cremorne, Mosman
* North Ryde, Ryde, Rhodes
* North Sydney
* Roseville
* Tempe, Wolli Creek
* Ultimo
* Moore Park, Bondi, Darlinghurst, Double Bay, Edgecliff
http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/newsevents/downloads/apec_maps.html

www.apec2007.org or call 1300 273 201

APEC Sydney Harbour order: Do not stop or anchor within 200 metres of a Security Exclusion Zone area

The General Manager Recreational Boating of NSW Maritime directs no stopping, or boating of any kind in APEC security zones: the Special Event and Security Exclusion Zone” where Vessel Operators must:

• not stop or anchor within 200 metres of a Security Exclusion Zone area; unless authorised to do so by a NSW Maritime Officer or a Police Officer; and
• comply with any directions given by a NSW Maritime Officer or a Police Officer in relation to the Special Event or marine safety.

 

• maintain a speed of six knots or less within an area bounded in the West by the imaginary line from Blues Point to Millers Point on the Western side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, in the East by an imaginary line from Kirribilli Point to the Westernmost point of Pinchgut Island (Fort Denison) thence to the Northernmost point of Mrs Macquaries Point, excluding the area covered by the Port of Sydney (Sydney Cove) Sydney Cove Area and Darling Harbour where the current speed limit of eight knots will be unchanged from 9.00AM Wednesday 5 September until 9.00AM Monday 10 Sept unless the Vessel Operator is operating a public passenger ferry on a public passenger service conducted according to regular routes and timetables,
• not enter a Security / Exclusion Zone area;
• not enter the waters either side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge between 7.30 pm and 8.30 pm on 8 September. The zone is related to a brief cultural event and extends from an imaginary line between Blues Point to Millers Point in the west and Kirribilli Point to Fort Denison and to Mrs Macquaries Point in the east

 

Armed groups control electricity in Iraq, dividing grid into fiefdoms: stations abandoned at night to whatever group controlled an area

Armed groups increasingly controlled the antiquated switching stations that channelled electricity around Iraq and they were dividing the national grid into fiefdoms, reported The Australian Financial Review (24/8/2007, p.55). Power-cuts the norm in city: Those fiefdoms often refused to share electricity generated locally with Baghdad and other power-starved areas in the centre of Iraq. This development added to existing electricity problems in Baghdad, which had been struggling to provide power for more than a few hours a day because insurgents regularly blew up the towers that carry power lines into the city. The government lost the ability to control the grid after the US-led invasion in 2003, when looters destroyed the automated dispatch centre, Electricity Minister, Karim Wahid, said in a briefing with US military officials.

Threats to electricity workers: The briefing had been designed to highlight successes in the US-financed reconstruction program, but it took an unexpected turn when Wahid, a highly respected technocrat and long-time ministry official, answered questions from the Arabic and Western news media. Because of the lack of functioning dispatch centres, Wahid said, ministry officials in Baghdad had been attempting to control the flow of electricity from huge power plants in the south, north and west of the country by calling local regional officials and ordering them to physically flip switches. But those officials would refuse to follow orders when armed groups threatened their lives, he said, and stations were abandoned at night to whatever group controlled an area.

Unannounced pre-APEC Federal bill on CO2 accounting throws states plans into disarray, monitors half the current number of industries; NEMMCO position uncertain

The Federal government had produced a bill on greenhouse emissions, totally misaligned with what the states had done so far, said Mr Gavin Jennings, Victorian Minister for Environment and Climate Change, in the Victorian Legislative Council on 22 August 2007.

States and territories benchmark: “A quite extraordinary proposition was put up after the Council for the Australian Federation got together earlier this year,” said Jennings. “The states and territories met and determined that if the commonwealth would not step into this space to regulate, they would do it themselves to make sure they knew what the greenhouse gas emissions system was throughout Australia. The states and territories determined that they would create the benchmark and the capacity to know where we as a nation are travelling with greenhouse generation and be able to drive important reforms, such as emissions trading. We put the commonwealth on notice to come up with a scheme to implement it.”

1400 industries measured in Victoria: “Out of the blue a bill arrived in the federal Parliament last week totally unannounced — and it is totally out of kilter with the current regulatory regime and out of kilter with the way the states and territories have planned to be able to measure reporting mechanisms now and into the future. … In relation to this initiative, the regime that we currently have in place in Victoria under the national pollutant inventory provides for 1400 energy-intensive industries to be measured through that regulatory impact including the state of Victoria.”

Commonwealth proposes monitoring fewer industries: “What has the commonwealth regime introduced? The bill that is before the commonwealth Parliament at the moment not only says, ‘Away with the inventory in Victoria, away with the 1400 companies that are currently being measured across Australia and let’s replace them with 700 companies which fall within the scope of the commonwealth regulation’,” said Jennings. “Not only that but it is particularly unclear in relation to the mechanisms that measure gas and electricity generation through the National Electricity Market Management Company (NEMMCO). Is it covered by the bill? The answer is a deafening silence from the commonwealth. We do not know whether it will measure these into the future.”

Reference: Gavin Jennings, Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Parliament of Victoria – Legislative Council Daily Hansard, Victoria, 22 August 2007.

Sydney criminals told “go home”: make way for projected arrests of 500 APEC protestors

The State Government of NSW, Australia, would release people serving periodic detention in Sydney jails during the APEC forum in case prison beds were needed for protestors arrested if demonstrations turned violent, reported The Sydney Morning Herald (3/9/2007, p.2). President Bush’s entourage: Two years ago Sydney hoteliers were contacted by the Federal Government and asked to reserve thousands of rooms for the summit. But the expected 6000 delegates from the 21 APEC nations have not materialised. Instead, only about 4000 have said they were coming to town. The US President, George Bush, would arrive with three jumbos - Air Force One, a back-up and another 747 for hangers-on - carrying more than 700 people, including the official party, presidential advisers and staff, medical staff, cooks and security, and journalists. Then there were transport planes bringing in the presidential helicopter, Marine One, a back-up, a fleet of motorcade vehicles including Secret Service Chevrolet Suburbans, an ambulance and … a back-up motorcade.

Cost of meeting: The cost of the forum was expected to top $330 million, of which $170 million would be spent on security, which included 22 explosive detector dogs at $90,000 an animal, police checks on the 22,000 people involved in the event, which included about 1,500 media, local hospitality workers, as well as the Sydney Children’s Choir. The State Government also spent $600,000 on a water cannon.

Queensland CO2 dump plans: coal-state plans law and rules for carbon trading for CO2 dumps

Legislative proposals set out CCS (CO2 dumps) Exploration Permits, Potential Commercial Area and Storage Lease arrangements proposed that the P&G Act be amended and a new chapter inserted specifically to regulate tenure for CO2 capture and storage, according to the Queensland Department of Mines and Energy report, Carbon dioxide geosequestration tenure administration.

Distinct tenure briefly considered: To recognise the unique nature of CO2 geosequestration, a different tenure, distinct from the existing petroleum tenure, was also contemplated. Queensland was committed to using the MCMPR Regulatory Guiding Principles to develop CCS legislation.

Key issues for new laws: The legislation would aim to be consistent with the MCMPR Regulatory Guiding Principles and deal with the following range of issues:

• location of suitable sites;

• appropriate tenure type and term of tenure;

• capture and transport of CO2;

• access to that land;

• injection of CO2;

• storage of CO2;

• safety;

• monitoring of stored CO2;

• liability, including post-closure/post-project;

• financial;

• approval and assessment

Proposed CCS tenure model: Although the terminology may change the following tenure arrangements are proposed for CCS activities:

• CCS Exploration Permit (CCS EP);

• CCS EP for Retention- Potential Commercial Area (CCS PCA);

• CCS Storage Lease (CCS SL);

EP conditions: A CCS EP will allow the successful proponent to conduct CCS exploration in the permit area and according to the approved work program submitted with the application.

PCA conditions: A CCS PCA will be an option whereby a CCS EP holder has discovered a suitable underground reservoir for CCS storage but no “CCS stream” (yet to be defined) was currently available.

SL conditions: A CCS SL would allow the holder to inject and store a CCS stream into the previously approved CCS reservoir. The activities must be done according to the approved development plan for the project. Site selection will be one of the most important elements of CCS activities with a requirement for a “predictive CCS stream migration model” to be included in the development plan.

Reference: This publication may be printed from or downloaded form the DME website at ww.dme.qld.gov.au For copyright enquries telephone (07) 3237 1644 or send facsimile to (07) 3238 3188. The closing date for submission sis two months from the date of announcement by the Minister. Submissions can be sent by post, facsimile or email. Postal address: Mining Legislation Review, Mining and Petroleum, Department of Mines and Energy, PO Box 15216, City East Qld 4002 Facsimile: (07) 3238 3188 Email: ccsleg@dme.qld.gov.au Please note: This discussion paper is for public discussion and comment and does not commit the government or a Minister either to the views expressed in it or to a particular direction for future action. All submissions will be treated as public documents subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1992. Submissions may take the form of letters or emails addressing the questions asked in the paper, issues of concern, or a list of matters identified by page or section numbers, stating the issues arising and suggested solutions.

Australian Critical Infrastructure secret committees offer zero-intelligence to Loy Yang A as laughing Y-Gen APEC orange people halt giant coal plant

Opinion: Cheerful young X-Gen protestors in Melbourne, Australia, thought it all a bundle of laughs as - wearing Guatanamo-orange overalls - they simply scaled the Loy Yang A power station fence - which runs along a highway - walked a few steps to the coal conveyer belt, pressed the conveyor-belt emergency stop-button, and chained themselves to the mechanisms. They stopped two conveyor belts. The site contains two generator groups - Loy Yang A and Loy Yang B.

Homer Simpson security: Loy Yang A security systems registered no break in, and Loy Yang A managers had no idea of the invasion of the orange people, until the protestors pressed the emergency stop - button. According to Loy Yang A chief executive, Ian Nethercote, the event took 600 MW off line. Operator, NEMMCO reports were a little more conservative, and showed 71MW offline. Loy Yang A chief executive, Ian Nethercote - told government news service, the ABC, 12 people broke in and 4 chained themselves to the conveyer belt, at about 5 am. The four were there until 11 am until police used angle-grinders to free the four, who were then arrested, and taken to Traralgon Police Station, and charged with trespass. The cheerful protestors’ informative website offered more intelligence than the Loy Yang A site, which was still populated with old press releases, 12 hours later . The protestors described the protest as successful and “inspirational”. They also opposed geosequestration. Loy Yang A is part of a consortium with plans for a CO2-dump hub, based in the La Trobe Valley.

Security intelligence “zero say Police, and CEO: “Intelligence around this was totally zero”, complained Nethercote, who appeared to expect that the high-price security systems, and layers of high-paid committees of portly baby-boomers would have provided some advance notice. It was the “First time in 20 years”, he said. Local police also said it had “no intelligence”. The missing intelligence was easy to find, as the spokesperson for the group - in a release to Indymedia - was Michaela Stubbs, who was also associated with the Alliance Against Uranium secretariat, and Friends of the the Earth (0429 136 935 michaela.stubbs@foe.org.au at FoE Melbourne 312 Smith Street Collingwood. Victoria tel: 03 9419 8700 Fax: 03 9416 2081). An active lobbyist, Stubbs has contributed to formal processes and Senate Committees.

Spreading orange effect: Nethercote said he was was “surprised” that the APEC events had spread to the La Trobe Valley. Ian Nethercote told the ABC at 5.40 pm Loy Yang A capacity was cut by 600 MW. The protestors easily broke Loy Yang A security and it was not until they pressed the emergency button stop button on the coal conveyor belt that that Loy Yang operations became aware they were there. “ We are not sure of their access” Superindent Geoff Newby, superintendent, Traralgon Police told the ABC.  Nethercote - a member of the Liberal lobby group the Institute of Public Affairs Limited - was previously a chair of the Chairman of the Electricity Supply Association of Australia. The director of the Electricity Supply Association of Australia chaired the electricity committee of the secret Critical Infrastructure committee.

Cheerful invaders: The group which claimed responsibility was Real Action on Climate Change. Its blog gave this report: “Early on this chilly Monday morning, we locked onto the conveyor belts of the dirty brown coal power station called Loy Yang, in Traralgon, Victoria, cutting power generation to half capacity. The protest was part of a national day expressing dissent against APEC’s disastrous climate policies. We have targeted coal as the worst greenhouse gas polluter. Massive conveyors taking the coal to feed Loy Yang fires were stopped when two people attached themselves using lock on devices inside the conveyor belt room. Another conveyor belt transporting tailings was also disrupted, banners flying in full colour. Helicopters are circling above and there are many cold hands and feet, but the action has been an amazing success and we drive to the town laughing, knowing that our friends are still locked onto their machinery, disrupting the movement of dirty brown coal. Our protest has transformed into creative action. Under the smokestacks we have created something that is beautiful, and we walk away with coal streaked faces, but glowing eyes…we are part of a growing movement of direct action on the root causes of climate change”.

Loy Yang Power owns and operates the 2100 megawatt Loy Yang power station and the adjacent Loy Yang coal mine. The company is owned by the Great Energy Alliance Corporation which is comprised of AGL (32.5pc), Tokyo Electric Power Company (32.5pc), MTAA Super (11.9pc), Transfield Services (9.32pc), Westscheme (5.7pc), Mitsui (5.6pc) and Statewide Superannuation Trust (2.5pc). Security at six other power plants was stepped up to protect against further invasions of APEC orange people.