Chipmill power station backwards step for climate
Plans by the Eden chipmill to burn so-called ‘mill wastes’ to generate electricity should not qualify as environmentally-friendly green power, according to Greens NSW MP John Kaye
Dr Kaye said: “SEFE is about to exploit loopholes in the national renewable energy target and in the Rudd government’s emissions trading scheme.
“Burning chipmill wastes will be responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions, unacceptable local air pollution and increased damage to the state’s native forests.
“Recent research from the ANU massively increased estimates of carbon locked up in the native forests. Greenhouse gas emissions from feeding biomass power stations could be in the same league as coal-fired generation.
“The Greens will be demanding that the Rudd government include a complete lifecycle analysis of the greenhouse emissions from the feed stocks of all power stations in the emissions trading scheme.
“This would expose the myth that native forest biomass power is greenhouse friendly.
“The waste argument does not stack up.
“Woodchips would inevitably end up in the furnaces of the power stations. It would be impossible to enforce a separation between fines and chips.
“Biomass would drive the continued expansion of an unsustainable industry that is destroying the native forests of South East NSW.
“SEFE admits that more than 70 per cent of the feedstock would come from native forests.
“Wood is not a clean fuel and the power station would damage local air quality.
“Forestry industry propaganda talks about burning wastes to create the impression of sustainability,” Dr Kaye said.
