West Australian
Wednesday 12/9/2007 Page: 4
Alternative sources of renewable energy such as wave power and hot rocks which are yet to be commercially tested will be sought to provide up to 20 per cent of power needed to run the State's second desalination plant. Tenders to provide 200 gigawatt hours of renewable energy for the main electricity grid to offset the power needed for the $1 billion Binningup plant will be called today. The Water Corporation will seek 160GW from conventional renewable sources such as wind farms but will invite tenders from less established sources to provide the other 40GW in a bid to drive development and innovation in the industry.
Greens MP Paul Llewellyn said it was essential the system was monitored to ensure there was no "double counting" of renewable energy supplies and whether the renewable sources were providing additional renewable energy for the grid. Announcing the tenders, Premier Alan Carpenter also released a report by the UWA Centre for Water Research which found that fears about the $387 million Kwinana desalination plant reducing oxygen levels in Cockburn Sound were unfounded.
0 comments:
Post a Comment