Coal's dominant share cent of Australia's generation mix (around 80 per cent) is poised to halve over the coming decades as more gas and renewable generation come onstream. But how far coal's contribution slips will also hinge on advances in cleaner coal technology, with growing official concern over emissions signalled by a carbon tax due in force next July.
Australia's power sector currently depends heavily on a network of 30 coal fired power plants, most of which date back more than 20 years. Their conventional designs typically allow operational efficiencies of between 33–35 per cent, far below those obtained through supercritical equipment. Only four power plants are currently operating with some form of cleaner coal technology, according to the Australian Parliamentary Library.
Yet cost is crucial in the transition to greener generation. Cheaply mined domestic coal reserves have enabled Australian consumers to enjoy some of the lowest electricity prices in the world. Since 1990 low prices have fuelled a 72 per cent rise in power demand, largely driven by energy-intensive manufacturing such as the production of iron, steel and aluminium from domestically mined bauxite and alumina. http://www.powerengineeringint.com/articles/print/volume-19/issue-7/features/australias-clean-coal-drive.html
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