PESA News likes to keep members up-to-date with the progress of alternative energy technologies and their utilisation in Australia. The following article provides detail of the latest, and largest, wind farm development in Australia to date. However, with a number of Australian and major international petroleum E&P companies supporting various alternative energy technologies does this indicate their cost-effectiveness or are they just paying lip service to the greens? At the end of this article, we provide you with some of the pros and cons of wind power, selected from three web sites.

On the more general subject of greenhouse gas emissions, and their effect on planet Earth, in the article prepared for PESA News by Professor Ian Plimer, provides some thought-provoking information.

Feel free to voice your opinion by emailing PESA News: pesanews@resolutions-group.com.au

Australia’s largest wind farm, with a capacity to supply up to 52,000 homes with renewable energy, was officially opened in mid-June on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia. The $165 million, 55-turbine Wattle Point Wind Farm near Edithburgh, which can generate 91 MW, was developed by Southern Hydro – Australia’s largest privately owned renewable energy generator. It is claimed to have the capacity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions relative to equivalent coal-fire generated electricity by up to 300,000 tonnes a year.

The South Australian Premier, The Honourable Mike Rann, and Southern Hydro Chairman, Dr Keith Turner, opened the wind farm in an official on-site ceremony. “Today heralds the start of a new era for solving Australia’s growing electricity needs and is a significant milestone for South Australia”, said Dr Turner, and added that the opening of the wind farm is further evidence that wind power is a serious and economically realistic ‘alternative’ source of energy. “Wattle Point proves that wind farms can make a major contribution to solving Australia’s electricity challenges. More than 90% of Australia’s energy comes from fossil fuels, meaning this country has the second highest per capita level of greenhouse emissions in the world”, he said.

Southern Hydro said the Wattle Point Wind Farm project has also set new benchmarks in community consultation, ongoing com-munication with stakeholders, environmental management, health and safety, engineering, and in working positively with the local Narrunga people. “Through this project, Southern Hydro has established itself as a world leader in the development and construction of environmentally-sustainable wind farms”, stated Dr Turner. “The opening of Australia’s largest wind farm shows what we can do, but it also stands as a symbol of what we must do more of if damaging climate change is to be averted.”

The location was chosen because research identified Wattle Point as having one of the highest average wind speeds on mainland Australia – perfect for a wind farm. Construction of the wind farm took 12 months; provided up to 162 on-site jobs at its peak; and now that it is fully operational employs five full-time staff to manage it. More than 37 km of underground cabling and 25 km of overhead transmission line have been installed to link the farm to the national electricity grid.

The Pros and Cons of Wind Energy

According to Geodynamics Limited’s website (www.geodynamics.com.au), wind power is one of the most expensive ways of generating electricity. Although stating that it is not easy to compare worldwide electricity costs (capital costs and operating costs) of traditional power generators such as coal, gas and uranium, and the main forms of renewable energy, the total cost of electricity from wind is estimated at A$80/MWh, compared to A$35 for coal and A$40 for natural gas – depending on the size and scope of the project. However, the fossil fuels are mature technologies and have received many benefits and subsidies from governments, such as infrastructure subsidies and special concessions, and these hidden costs are generally not accounted for in the cost of electricity. The website also states that renewable energy has large upfront capital expenditure which includes all its future ‘fuel’ (e.g. infrastructure), whereas fossil fuel generators have to purchase fuel on an ongoing basis. Renewable energies are therefore independent of increases in future fuel costs.Uranium SA is a website prepared by the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy (www.uraniumsa.org), and also has a comparison of different energy sources. While coal and gas are listed as costing US 2.5 – 4.5 cents and US 2.3 – 4.7 cents per kWh, respectively, wind is listed at US 5 cents per kWh. According to the comparison, coal and gas are both cost effective, whereas wind is irregular and not able to meet base load demand. The availability and reliability of coal and gas is good; wind is variable and dependent on the weather. However, wind power generation produces no greenhouse gas emissions, whereas coal produces 1 kg of CO2/kWh and gas 0.5 kg of CO2/kWh.

Another website, www.nucleartourist.com, compares the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of traditional and renewable energy sources. Coal is inexpensive and easy to recover, but requires expensive air pollution controls; significantly contributes to acid rain and global warming; and requires an extensive transportation system. Wind is free if available and can provide an unlimited supply of energy, but has several other disadvantages, including: A need for three times the amount of installed generation to meet demand; it is limited to a few areas; the equipment is expensive to maintain; it needs expensive energy storage (e.g. batteries); it is highly climate dependent and unpredictable; and can affect endangered birds. Noise and ‘visual pollution’ are also commonly listed as problems.

One of the main advantages of wind energy is obviously that it doesn’t pollute the atmosphere, but will this environmental benefit ever override the cheapness and ease of electricity generation from coal or gas?