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LV Coal Drying Pilot Plant In Doubt: Hall

Plans for the development of a pilot plant to dry brown coal in the Latrobe Valley are in doubt, as the State Government has refused to match Federal funding for the project.

By Peter Hall - 11th October 2004 - Back to News

Gippsland MP, Peter Hall, said that the State Minister for Energy Industries, Theo Theophanous, had admitted in Parliament last week that the project is at the crossroads.

"I put a very specific question to the Minister, asking when the State Government would put up the $2.2 million required for the project to move ahead, and he could not answer that question," Mr Hall said.

"In early August, the federal government allocated $2.2 million for the development of a pilot plant to dry brown coal, which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from brown coal generation by 30 per cent.

"The $2.2 million was conditional on the Bracks government matching that figure.

"I am now concerned that we will lose the money offered by the Federal Government because the State won’t put its money on the table, and more importantly, we are not progressing technologies that will reduce greenhouse gases."

Mr Hall said he was astounded that the State Government appeared so cash-strapped that it could not find a relatively small amount of money to progress the project.

"I really wonder where the State Government is coming from," he said. "On one hand it professes to be keen to reduce greenhouse gases, but it is not prepared to put up the dollars required that could make a real difference. The State Government also knows that Victoria needs brown coal-based power generation in the foreseeable future, so why is it not supporting that?"

Mr Hall said the Minister admitted it was important that new technologies be developed for brown coal drying.

"However, actions speak louder than words. The State Government is talking about it, but when they have an opportunity to take some action, it gets too hard.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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