❓ Dr. Thomas questions the Minister for Water regarding discrepancies in answers about carbon credits purchased for the Perth Seawater Desalination Plant (PSDP) and its compliance with ministerial conditions. The Parliamentary Secretary provides clarification and details of carbon credit purchases, but deems the costs 'commercial-in-confidence'.
AnsweredQoN 616Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
PERTH SEAWATER DESALINATION
PLANT
616. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Water:
I
refer to the minister's answer to my question without notice 457 asked
on 14 May 2024, in which he admitted that no renewable energy was used
in the Perth seawater desalination plant in the six years from 2017–18
to 2022–23 inclusive. The answer to part (2) of the question on what
carbon offset credits had been purchased each year was ''not applicable''.
(1) Why did the minister's answer to my
follow-up question without notice 585 asked yesterday, 29 May 2024, therefore advise —
Water Corporation satisfied its
ministerial conditions for the Perth seawater desalination plant from 2017
onwards by purchasing carbon credits.
(2) For each
financial year from 2017–18 to 2022–23 inclusive —
(a) how many
carbon credits did the Water Corporation purchase for the PSDP; and
(b) what was the
total cost of those purchased credits?
(3) Why did the answer to question
without notice 457 not provide this information?
The PRESIDENT : I give the
call to the minister—I mean, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister
for Water.
PLANT
616. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Water:
I
refer to the minister's answer to my question without notice 457 asked
on 14 May 2024, in which he admitted that no renewable energy was used
in the Perth seawater desalination plant in the six years from 2017–18
to 2022–23 inclusive. The answer to part (2) of the question on what
carbon offset credits had been purchased each year was ''not applicable''.
(1) Why did the minister's answer to my
follow-up question without notice 585 asked yesterday, 29 May 2024, therefore advise —
Water Corporation satisfied its
ministerial conditions for the Perth seawater desalination plant from 2017
onwards by purchasing carbon credits.
(2) For each
financial year from 2017–18 to 2022–23 inclusive —
(a) how many
carbon credits did the Water Corporation purchase for the PSDP; and
(b) what was the
total cost of those purchased credits?
(3) Why did the answer to question
without notice 457 not provide this information?
The PRESIDENT : I give the
call to the minister—I mean, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister
for Water.
AnswerView source ↗
Thank you, President. I forgive you
because I tried to call you ''Premier'' several times earlier
this week.
I thank the member for some notice
of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by the Minister
for Water.
(1)–(3) A
condition of ministerial statement 655 on the Perth seawater desalination plant
requires the Water Corporation to —
� take all reasonable and practicable
steps to obtain an electricity contract for the plant which will specify that
the electricity will be sourced from gas-fired generating units at least 95% of
the time.
For
the period 2007 to 2016, compliance was achieved through a contract with
Western Power linked with the Emu Downs wind farm. For the period 2017–18
to 2022–23, compliance was achieved by purchasing Australian carbon
credit units to offset the difference between the south west interconnected
system grid emissions factor and that of an open cycle gas turbine for
electricity.
Part (2) of question without notice
457 asked —
Were carbon offset credits from
accredited third parties required to be purchased to meet any shortfall; and,
if so, for each year, how many credits were purchased?
This
was interpreted to be asking what was the shortfall from the renewable energy
purchased that required carbon credits to be purchased during the period
2017–18 to 2022–23. As no renewable energy was purchased in this period, the response to part (1)
was ''nil'' and to part (2) was ''not applicable''.
The carbon credits procured for the period 2017–18 to 2022–23
are provided in tabular form, and I seek leave to have that incorporated into Hansard .
[Leave granted for the following
material to be incorporated.]
Financial
Year
Carbon
Credits Purchased
2017–18
11,487
2018–19
9,908
2019–20
10,072
2020–21
8,213
2021–22
7,498
2022–23
0
(2) The costs are
commercial-in-confidence.
because I tried to call you ''Premier'' several times earlier
this week.
I thank the member for some notice
of the question. The following answer has been provided to me by the Minister
for Water.
(1)–(3) A
condition of ministerial statement 655 on the Perth seawater desalination plant
requires the Water Corporation to —
� take all reasonable and practicable
steps to obtain an electricity contract for the plant which will specify that
the electricity will be sourced from gas-fired generating units at least 95% of
the time.
For
the period 2007 to 2016, compliance was achieved through a contract with
Western Power linked with the Emu Downs wind farm. For the period 2017–18
to 2022–23, compliance was achieved by purchasing Australian carbon
credit units to offset the difference between the south west interconnected
system grid emissions factor and that of an open cycle gas turbine for
electricity.
Part (2) of question without notice
457 asked —
Were carbon offset credits from
accredited third parties required to be purchased to meet any shortfall; and,
if so, for each year, how many credits were purchased?
This
was interpreted to be asking what was the shortfall from the renewable energy
purchased that required carbon credits to be purchased during the period
2017–18 to 2022–23. As no renewable energy was purchased in this period, the response to part (1)
was ''nil'' and to part (2) was ''not applicable''.
The carbon credits procured for the period 2017–18 to 2022–23
are provided in tabular form, and I seek leave to have that incorporated into Hansard .
[Leave granted for the following
material to be incorporated.]
Financial
Year
Carbon
Credits Purchased
2017–18
11,487
2018–19
9,908
2019–20
10,072
2020–21
8,213
2021–22
7,498
2022–23
0
(2) The costs are
commercial-in-confidence.
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