The decision to bring forward the plant’s closure,previously scheduled for 2042,comes six months after EnergyAustralia announced it would also fast-track the closure of the Yallourn power station in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley by four years to 2028. The Mt Piper power station employs 250 workers.
“The energy transition has significant impacts for our power station workers and our local communities,” EnergyAustralia’s managing director Mark Collette said.
“While Mt Piper’s ultimate retirement date will be determined by several factors,we are committed to long-term planning and supporting the transition for our workers and our local communities.”
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The move comes as EnergyAustralia,which is owned by Hong Kong-based CLP Group,vows to slash its direct carbon dioxide emissions by 60 per cent from today’s levels by 2028-29.
Coal remains the dominant source of Australia’s electricity supply,accounting for about 70 per cent of the mix. However,the fossil fuel is increasingly being squeezed out of the market,as a rapid rise of large-scale wind and solar farms and rooftop solar panels has driven down daytime wholesale power prices to levels where coal-fired power plants are struggling to complete,raising the threat of early closures.
Because electricity production is a dominant source of Australia’s emissions,reducing output from coal plants would help sharply reduce the national carbon footprint.