The Mercury, Page: 13
Friday, 2 June 2006
CALLS for a major lift in Australia's renewable energy target were renewed yesterday, as a Tasmanian company signed a major wind-farm deal in China. Yesterday, Roaring 40s sealed a $300 million deal with major Chinese energy company Guohua Energy. And the Australian Greens backed the call by Roaring 40s for the Federal Government to lift its renewable energy target to prevent more investment being driven offshore. The Greens will challenge the Australian Government to match China's renewable energy target by proposing amendments to the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment Bill, which will be debated in Parliament later this month.
Greens energy spokesperson Christine Milne said it was alarming that China was benefiting from the jobs and investment that could be rolling out in Australian communities. ''The leadership being shown by China in setting a 15 per cent target for renewable energy is not only great for the global environment but it will boost the Chinese economy by creating competitive advantage in renewable energy technology, '' Senator Milne said. Earlier last month, Roaring 40s axed plans for its multimillion dollar Heemskirk wind farm on Tasmania's West Coast, blaming Canberra's abandonment of the Mandatory Renewable Energy Targets. The loss of the project cast a doubt over Roaring 40s' other big Tasmanian project at Musselroe Bay in the North-East.
''This refusal to support the industry, and environment minister Ian Campbell's recent interventions on questionable grounds to prevent wind projects, means Australia is failing to capitalise on the investment required to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and avert the worst consequences of climate change, '' Senator Milne said. Roaring 40s' Chinese project will begin construction later this year and provide 48.75MW of power. The first-stage $80 million project is being built near Rongcheng city, in Shandong Province on China's east coast.
0 comments:
Post a Comment