❓ This parliamentary question scrutinizes the Water Corporation's commitment to generating 400 megawatts of renewable energy, specifically questioning the actual average output and its sufficiency for powering desalination plants.
AnsweredQoN 164Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
Water Corporation—Renewable energy generation
164. Hon Dr Steve Thomas to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Water:
I refer to the
minister's partial answers to my questions without notice 84, 112 and 155 asked
on 10, 11 and 12 March on the commitment of the Water Corporation to build
an additional 400 megawatts of renewable energy generation.
(1) Given the three answers last week,
will the minister now confirm that the Water Corporation will contract for 1.3 terawatt
hours of annual wind farm production, which will equate to an average output of
only 37% of 400 megawatts?
(2) Given the government has claimed 400 megawatts
of additional renewable energy will be delivered since 2022, will the
minister now publicly confirm the contract will only deliver an average of 148 megawatts
per hour?
(3) Is 148
megawatts per hour sufficient additional renewable energy generation for the
Water Corporation to claim its desalination plants are running on renewable
energy or will the minister be relying on more new pine plantations to claim
renewable offsets?
164. Hon Dr Steve Thomas to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Water:
I refer to the
minister's partial answers to my questions without notice 84, 112 and 155 asked
on 10, 11 and 12 March on the commitment of the Water Corporation to build
an additional 400 megawatts of renewable energy generation.
(1) Given the three answers last week,
will the minister now confirm that the Water Corporation will contract for 1.3 terawatt
hours of annual wind farm production, which will equate to an average output of
only 37% of 400 megawatts?
(2) Given the government has claimed 400 megawatts
of additional renewable energy will be delivered since 2022, will the
minister now publicly confirm the contract will only deliver an average of 148 megawatts
per hour?
(3) Is 148
megawatts per hour sufficient additional renewable energy generation for the
Water Corporation to claim its desalination plants are running on renewable
energy or will the minister be relying on more new pine plantations to claim
renewable offsets?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the
honourable member for some notice of the question. The following response,
which I provide on behalf of the Leader of the House, has been
provided by the Minister for Water.
(1) Yes.
(2) The Water Corporation needs a 400
megawatt wind farm, assuming 37% capacity factor, to ensure an annual average of
1.3 terawatt hours. This is equivalent to a flat 148 megawatts being
delivered 24 hours per day, 365 days of the year.
Hon Dr Steve Thomas: Yes and yes!
The President: Order!
Hon Jackie Jarvis: I will continue.
(3) An amount of 1.3 terawatt hours of
renewable energy is sufficient to offset the electricity requirements of Water
Corporation's desalination plants.
honourable member for some notice of the question. The following response,
which I provide on behalf of the Leader of the House, has been
provided by the Minister for Water.
(1) Yes.
(2) The Water Corporation needs a 400
megawatt wind farm, assuming 37% capacity factor, to ensure an annual average of
1.3 terawatt hours. This is equivalent to a flat 148 megawatts being
delivered 24 hours per day, 365 days of the year.
Hon Dr Steve Thomas: Yes and yes!
The President: Order!
Hon Jackie Jarvis: I will continue.
(3) An amount of 1.3 terawatt hours of
renewable energy is sufficient to offset the electricity requirements of Water
Corporation's desalination plants.
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