104-645: The Kogan Creek Power Station is a 750 megawatt coal fired power station owned by CS Energy on the Darling Downs in Queensland . The $ 1.2 billion plant is situated at Brigalow , in the Surat Basin between Dalby and Chinchilla . Kogan Creek consists of only one boiler-turbine-generator unit. At 750 MW, it is the largest single unit in Australia. Construction by a consortium led by Siemens commenced in 2004 and
208-515: A Queensland town was a first for the state. Major flooding at Theodore persisted for more than two weeks. Emerald was cut off by road on 29 December as the Nogoa River rose. By the next day, the river surpassed the 2008 flood peak level of 15.36 metres (50.4 ft). At the peak of the flooding, 80% of the town was flooded, the worst the town ever experienced. Twelve hundred Emerald residents registered as evacuees. Rockhampton had nearly
312-544: A trough during the peak of a La Niña Modoki event. The 2010 La Niña Modoki weather pattern, which brings wetter conditions to eastern Australia, was the strongest since 1973. This La Niña event caused a prolonged event of heavy rainfall over Queensland river catchments. Record or near record sea surface temperatures were recorded off the Queensland coast in late 2010. December 2010 was Queensland's wettest on record, with record-high rainfall totals set in 107 locations for
416-417: A "unit train" may be 2 km long, containing 130-140 cars with around 100 tonnes of coal in each one, for a total load of over 10,000 tonnes. A large plant under full load requires at least one coal delivery this size every day. Plants may get as many as three to five trains a day, especially in "peak season" during the hottest summer or coldest winter months (depending on local climate) when power consumption
520-428: A contract to run the mine until 2018. The plant's 40% efficiency is reached using supercritical steam technology which raises the steam pressure to 250 bar at 560 °C, however the less efficient air cooling keeps the power station from reaching the 45% efficiency of power stations like Stanwell Power Station . Kogan Creek uses air-cooled surface condensers , which reduce water consumption to 90% less water through
624-464: A cost of only A$ 3 per tonne of carbon for the first year's emissions alone. On 18 March 2016, CS Energy announced that the Solar Boost demonstration project would not be completed, blaming "technical and contractual problems". By 2017, the equipment was being dismantled. CS Energy recorded a $ 70 million impairment in its 2016 accounts because of the project. CS Energy explained in a report to ARENA why
728-555: A devastating wall of water through the city centre. This water then headed west—not towards the Lockyer Valley which was also experiencing extreme rainfall that fell on eastern facing slopes. The surge associated with rainfall which fell on the eastern side of the range passed through the Lockyer Valley town of Withcott , where the force of the water pushed cars into shops and forced the evacuation of hundreds of people. The scene
832-454: A half-degree Celsius rise in ocean temperatures around Australia to global warming (which produces extra water vapour and intensifies the monsoon). Other scientists say that it is too early to draw such a conclusion. Assertions were also made by Professor Hubert Chanson , an expert in dam and reservoir engineering with extensive firsthand knowledge of the Wivenhoe system, that mismanagement of
936-412: A level equivalent to 191% of its supply capacity on 11 January 2011. Although the dam can hold the equivalent of 225% of its supply capacity, storage exceeding 100% is required to be progressively released through the floodgates to restore capacity to mitigate future flood events. Brisbane experienced its wettest December since 1859. Wyaralong Dam , near Beaudesert , had recently been completed and
1040-648: A peak in the early hours of Thursday morning, 13 January. The dam's releases into the Brisbane River also caused the Bremer River , which winds through the city of Ipswich , and the Lockyer Creek to back up and cause much of the flooding outside Brisbane ." This was corroborated by a panel of engineers hired by Insurance Council of Australia . O'Brien also found that the Wivenhoe Dam and Somerset Dam did not hold
1144-446: A result of the floods. National Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements were made available to a total of 31 local government areas across Queensland . New Zealand announced that the country would send two fifteen-member civil defence teams to assist in flood rescue efforts. New Zealand also offered x3 RNZAF Bell UH-1H helicopters and a C-130 Hercules aircraft, to assist with relief efforts, and air transport, however this offer
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#17328526076841248-528: A substantial reduction in coal-related activities. Studies, including finance-based accounting of coal emissions, have revealed a misalignment of coal financing with climate objectives. Major nations, such as China, Japan, and the U.S., have extended financial support to overseas coal power infrastructure. The largest backers are Chinese banks under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This support has led to significant long-term climate and financial risks and harms
1352-481: A thermal power station burning other fuel types, coal specific fuel processing and ash disposal is required. For units over about 200 MW capacity, redundancy of key components is provided by installing duplicates of the forced and induced draft fans, air preheaters, and fly ash collectors. On some units of about 60 MW, two boilers per unit may instead be provided. The hundred largest coal power stations range in size from 3,000 MW to 6,700 MW. Coal
1456-487: A thunderstorm raced through Toowoomba's central business district. Rainfall from the same storm devastated communities in the Lockyer Valley. A few days later, thousands of houses in Ipswich and Brisbane were inundated as the Brisbane River rose and Wivenhoe Dam used a considerable proportion of its flood mitigation capacity. Volunteers were quick to offer assistance, and sympathy was expressed from afar. A large mobilisation of
1560-445: A tremendous spirit of volunteering right across Queensland ...". Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard toured flood-affected areas on 31 December, the day before The Queen ( Elizabeth II ), sent her expressions of concern and sympathy for the victims of the floods to her representative in Queensland, Governor Penelope Wensley . The Queen later made a donation to her Queensland premier's flood relief appeal, as did her son,
1664-428: A type of thermal power station , a coal-fired power station converts chemical energy stored in coal successively into thermal energy , mechanical energy and, finally, electrical energy . The coal is usually pulverized and then burned in a pulverized coal-fired boiler . The heat from the burning pulverized coal converts boiler water to steam , which is then used to spin turbines that turn generators . Compared to
1768-527: A week to prepare for an expected flood peak from the Fitzroy River , which courses through the centre of the city. The airport was closed on 1 January. A metal flood barrier was erected around the terminal to prevent flood-borne debris from causing damage to the structure. An evacuation centre was set up at the Central Queensland University . The Bruce Highway leading south out of Rockhampton
1872-469: Is a thermal power station which burns coal to generate electricity . Worldwide there are about 2,500 coal-fired power stations, on average capable of generating a gigawatt each. They generate about a third of the world's electricity , but cause many illnesses and the most early deaths per unit of energy produced, mainly from air pollution . World installed capacity doubled from 2000 to 2023 and increased 2% in 2023. A coal-fired power station
1976-413: Is a coal power generation technology that uses a high pressure gasifier to turn coal (or other carbon based fuels) into pressurized gas—synthesis gas ( syngas ). Converting the coal to gas enables the use of a combined cycle generator , typically achieving high efficiency. The IGCC process can also enable removal of some pollutants from the syngas prior to the power generation cycle. However, the technology
2080-408: Is a growing call for stricter policies regarding overseas coal financing. Countries, including Japan and the U.S., have faced criticism for permitting the financing of certain coal projects. Strengthening the policies, potentially by banning public financing of coal projects entirely, would enhance their climate efforts and credibility. In addition, Enhanced transparency in disclosing financing details
2184-530: Is a type of fossil fuel power station . The coal is usually pulverized and then burned in a pulverized coal-fired boiler . The furnace heat converts boiler water to steam , which is then used to spin turbines that turn generators . Thus chemical energy stored in coal is converted successively into thermal energy , mechanical energy and, finally, electrical energy . Coal-fired power stations emit about 12 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, about one fifth of world greenhouse gas emissions , so are
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#17328526076842288-526: Is about A$ 30 billion. As of March 2012, there were 33 deaths attributed to the floods, with a further three people still missing. Three-quarters of the council areas within the state of Queensland were declared disaster zones. Communities along the Fitzroy and Burnett Rivers were particularly hard hit, while the Condamine, Ballone, and Mary Rivers recorded substantial flooding. An unexpected flash flood caused by
2392-402: Is among the few coal-dependent fast developing countries that fully pledged to phase out unbated coal power by the 2040s or as soon as possible thereafter. Ammonia has a high hydrogen density and is easy to handle. It can be used as storing carbon-free fuel in gas turbine power generation and help significantly reduce CO₂ emissions as a fuel. In Japan, the first major four-year test project
2496-456: Is captured and removed from the flue gas by electrostatic precipitators or fabric bag filters (or sometimes both) located at the outlet of the furnace and before the induced draft fan. The fly ash is periodically removed from the collection hoppers below the precipitators or bag filters. Generally, the fly ash is pneumatically transported to storage silos and stored on site in ash ponds , or transported by trucks or railroad cars to landfills . At
2600-427: Is costly compared with conventional coal-fired power stations. As coal is mainly carbon , coal-fired power stations have a high carbon intensity . On average, coal power stations emit far more greenhouse gas per unit electricity generated compared with other energy sources (see also life-cycle greenhouse-gas emissions of energy sources ). In 2018 coal burnt to generate electricity emitted over 10 Gt CO 2 of
2704-964: Is crucial for evaluating their environmental impacts. In India capacity factors are below 60%. In 2020 coal-fired power stations in the United States had an overall capacity factor of 40%; that is, they operated at a little less than half of their cumulative nameplate capacity. If global warming is limited to well below 2 °C as specified in the Paris Agreement , coal plant stranded assets of over US$ 500 billion are forecast by 2050, mostly in China. In 2020 think tank Carbon Tracker estimated that 39% of coal-fired plants were already more expensive than new renewables and storage and that 73% would be by 2025. As of 2020 about half of China's coal power companies are losing money and old and small power plants "have no hope of making profits". As of 2021 India
2808-399: Is high. Modern unloaders use rotary dump devices, which eliminate problems with coal freezing in bottom dump cars. The unloader includes a train positioner arm that pulls the entire train to position each car over a coal hopper. The dumper clamps an individual car against a platform that swivels the car upside down to dump the coal. Swiveling couplers enable the entire operation to occur while
2912-573: Is keeping potential stranded assets operating by subsidizing them. 2010%E2%80%932011 Queensland floods A series of floods hit Queensland , Australia, beginning in December 2010. The floods forced the evacuation of thousands of people from towns and cities. At least 90 towns and over 200,000 people were affected. Damage initially was estimated at A$ 1 billion before it was raised to $ 2.38 billion. The estimated reduction in Australia's GDP
3016-949: Is often due to burning low quality coal, such as lignite , in plants lacking modern flue gas treatment. Early deaths due to air pollution have been estimated at 200 per GW-year, however they may be higher around power plants where scrubbers are not used or lower if they are far from cities. Evidence indicates that exposure to sulfur, sulfates, or PM 2.5 from coal emissions may be associated with higher relative morbidity or mortality risk than that to other PM 2.5 constituents or PM 2.5 from other sources per unit concentration. Pollutants such as heavy metals leaching into ground water from unlined coal ash storage ponds or landfills pollute water, possibly for decades or centuries. Pollutant discharges from ash ponds to rivers (or other surface water bodies) typically include arsenic , lead, mercury , selenium , chromium , and cadmium . Mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants can fall back onto
3120-517: Is owed by State-owned dam operator Seqwater who is appealing the decision for which a hearing is scheduled for May. The appeal was successful. Brisbane experienced major flooding in 1893 and 1974 as the Brisbane River broke its bank and inundated low-lying areas. Towns, including St. George and Theodore, had dealt with major flooding earlier in 1996. The floods were a result of heavy rainfall caused by Tropical Cyclone Tasha that combined with
3224-476: Is prepared for use by crushing the rough coal to pieces less than 5 cm (2 in) in size. The coal is then transported from the storage yard to in-plant storage silos by conveyor belts at rates up to 4,000 tonnes per hour. In plants that burn pulverized coal, silos feed coal to pulverizers (coal mills) that take the larger 5 cm pieces, grind them to the consistency of talcum powder , sort them, and mix them with primary combustion air, which transports
Kogan Creek Power Station - Misplaced Pages Continue
3328-644: The Braemar Creek substation , as well as the Western Downs substation adjacent to Kogan Creek, connects the Kogan Creek power station to the National Electricity Market , providing power to Queensland and New South Wales . Also located at the Western Downs substation are several grid battery projects; the 200 MW / 400 MWh Western Downs Green Power Hub battery with its photovoltaic 400 MW solar,
3432-682: The Coroner on 5 June 2012. Flooding began to affect low-lying areas of Brisbane on the morning of 11 January 2011. By around 2:30 p.m. AEST, the Brisbane River broke its banks leading to evacuations in the Brisbane CBD and the suburbs of Fortitude Valley and West End . An evacuation centre was established for flood-affected residents at the RNA Showgrounds in Bowen Hills . Residents of 2,100 Brisbane streets were advised to evacuate prior to
3536-474: The Darling Downs , was hit by flash flooding after more than 160 millimetres (6.3 in) of rain fell in 36 hours to 10 January 2011; this event caused four deaths in a matter of hours. Cars were washed away (see video ). Toowoomba sits on the watershed of the Great Dividing Range , some 700 metres (2,300 ft) above sea level. A three-week period where it had rained on all but three days had left
3640-723: The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) regulation, by effluent guidelines for water pollution , and by solid waste regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Coal-fired power stations continue to pollute in lightly regulated countries; such as the Western Balkans , India, Russia and South Africa; causing over a hundred thousand early deaths each year. Damage to health from particulates , sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide occurs mainly in Asia and
3744-507: The Rally for Relief which was held at Rod Laver Arena and attended by 15,000 people, which raised A$ 750,000. The Seven Network televised the event. Players who took part included Roger Federer , Rafael Nadal , Lleyton Hewitt , Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick . On 27 January, the 2011 Legends of Origin charity match was contested between former New South Wales and Queensland Rugby League State of Origin players. Organised by Mark Geyer ,
3848-507: The Wheel of Brisbane , was itself inundated by flood waters only two days later. At the first Twenty20 cricket match between Australia and England in Adelaide on 12 January, both teams donated part of their match fees to help the victims and A$ 28,450 was collected from people in attendance. On 16 January, the day before the 2011 Australian Tennis Open commenced, a number of players took part in
3952-409: The Wivenhoe Dam might be a contributor to the some flooding in the lower Brisbane valley. While an expert engineer, Michael O'Brien—a senior manager of an ASX-listed resources company and an outside consultant evaluating cause—agrees that "massive releases of water from Wivenhoe Dam on Tuesday, 11 January, did indeed produce most of the flooding in the Brisbane River the following afternoon, with
4056-615: The 100 MW / 200 MWh Chinchilla battery, and the 150 MW / 300 MWh Ulinda Park battery. In April 2011, the Kogan Creek Solar Boost project was officially launched. Funding for the project includes a $ 70 million commitment from CS Energy and a commitment of more than $ 34 million from the Australian Government, of which CS spent $ 50 million and ARENA spent $ 6.4 million. The project was to be constructed by Areva using superheated solar steam technology. Kogan Creek Solar Boost
4160-568: The 34 Gt total from fuel combustion (the overall total greenhouse gas emissions for 2018 was 55 Gt CO 2 e ). From 2015 to 2020, although coal generation hardly fell in absolute terms, some of its market share was taken by wind and solar. In 2020 only China increased coal power generation, and globally it fell by 4%. However, in 2021, China declared that it limited coal generation until 2025 and subsequently phase it out over time. The UN Secretary General has said that OECD countries should stop generating electricity from coal by 2030 and
4264-419: The 44 MW capacity was not additional to the full 744 MW net capacity of Kogan Creek, rather was an estimated contribution towards the total generation. Instead, steam from the solar field was to be first further heated and then used to power the intermediate pressure turbine, thereby displacing coal. The project was expected to reduce carbon emissions by about 35,000 tonnes per year, which is 0.8% of emissions, at
Kogan Creek Power Station - Misplaced Pages Continue
4368-474: The Australian Defence Force was activated and a relief fund created. The head of the recovery taskforce was Major General Michael Slater . The Queensland Reconstruction Authority (CEO was Graeme Newton) was formed to coordinate the rebuilding program beyond the initial task force, and a Commission of Inquiry was established to investigate all matters related to the floods. The state's coal industry
4472-558: The Brisbane suburbs worst affected by the floods were St Lucia , West End , Rocklea and Graceville . The floods damaged some of Brisbane's icons. The Brisbane Riverwalk, a floating walkway over the Brisbane River linking the inner city neighbourhoods of Fortitude Valley and New Farm , broke up, with a section forming a 300-metre (980 ft) "floating missile" that threatened the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges . The largest part of
4576-460: The British people for those who have died, those who have lost their homes and all those who have been affected by the floods in Queensland." "As we weep for what we have lost, and as we grieve for family and friends and we confront the challenge that is before us, I want us to remember who we are. We are Queenslanders. We're the people that they breed tough, north of the [New South Wales] border. We're
4680-634: The Global Coal to Clean Power pledge. However, intricate challenges remain, particularly in developing countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam. There are 4 main types of coal-fired power station in increasing order of efficiency are: subcritical, supercritical , ultra-supercritical and cogeneration (also called combined heat and power or CHP). Subcritical is the least efficient type, however recent innovations have allowed retrofits to older subcritical plants to meet or even exceed efficiency of supercritical plants. Integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC)
4784-546: The Prince of Wales (now Charles III ). In March 2011, Charles' eldest son, Prince William , toured the affected areas in Queensland, as well as those damaged by the floods in Victoria . US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated, "On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I offer my condolences for the loss of life and damage in Queensland caused by the recent flooding." US President Barack Obama said he
4888-493: The U.S. alone, such particulates, known as PM 2.5 (particulates with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less), caused at least 460,000 excess deaths over two decades. In some countries pollution is somewhat controlled by best available techniques , for example those in the EU through its Industrial Emissions Directive . In the United States, coal-fired plants are governed at the national level by several air pollution regulations, including
4992-595: The US lacked safety training and safety gear. On the supply side, after sitting in 2011 floodwaters at the Port of Brisbane during a dispute between Areva and shipping company DHL , 80 per cent of pipes for the project were damaged by rust. Other steel ordered for the project was completely unusable and had to be scrapped. Some necessary parts became unavailable when a Newcastle supplier went out of business. Coal fired power station A coal-fired power station or coal power plant
5096-431: The arrival of floods, which struck the city on 12 January. Lord Mayor Campbell Newman stated than an estimated 20,000 homes would be affected when the river peaked on 14 January. He subsequently advised that the Brisbane River transport infrastructure had been "substantially destroyed". The Brisbane River peaked on 13 January at a lower level than predicted, but still 20,000 houses in Brisbane were inundated. Some of
5200-529: The bottom of the furnace, there is a hopper for collection of bottom ash . This hopper is kept filled with water to quench the ash and clinkers falling down from the furnace. Arrangements are included to crush the clinkers and convey the crushed clinkers and bottom ash to on-site ash ponds, or off-site to landfills. Ash extractors are used to discharge ash from municipal solid waste–fired boilers. A well-designed energy policy , energy law and electricity market are critical for flexibility. Although technically
5304-421: The cars are still coupled together. Unloading a unit train takes about three hours. Shorter trains may use railcars with an "air-dump", which relies on air pressure from the engine plus a "hot shoe" on each car. This "hot shoe" when it comes into contact with a "hot rail" at the unloading trestle, shoots an electric charge through the air dump apparatus and causes the doors on the bottom of the car to open, dumping
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#17328526076845408-444: The central business district and at least 3,000 houses. One third of the city was reported to be underwater and over 1,100 people took shelter at evacuation centres. At Minden, on the border of Ipswich City, a four-year-old boy was swept away by floodwaters when he fell from a rescue boat. A man in his fifties died when he accidentally drove into floodwaters in the Ipswich suburb of Wulkuraka . The worst affected areas of Ipswich were
5512-641: The coal on a traveling grate or the cyclone burners, a specific kind of combustor that can efficiently burn larger pieces of fuel. Plants designed for lignite (brown coal) are used in locations as varied as Germany, Victoria, Australia , and North Dakota . Lignite is a much younger form of coal than black coal. It has a lower energy density than black coal and requires a much larger furnace for equivalent heat output. Such coals may contain up to 70% water and ash , yielding lower furnace temperatures and requiring larger induced-draft fans. The firing systems also differ from black coal and typically draw hot gas from
5616-469: The coal through the opening in the trestle. Unloading one of these trains takes anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half. Older unloaders may still use manually operated bottom-dump rail cars and a "shaker" attached to dump the coal. A collier (cargo ship carrying coal) may hold 41,000 tonnes (40,000 long tons) of coal and takes several days to unload. Some colliers carry their own conveying equipment to unload their own bunkers; others depend on equipment at
5720-406: The coal to the boiler furnace and preheats the coal in order to drive off excess moisture content. A 500 MW e plant may have six such pulverizers, five of which can supply coal to the furnace at 250 tonnes per hour under full load. In plants that do not burn pulverized coal, the larger 5 cm pieces may be directly fed into the silos which then feed either mechanical distributors that drop
5824-632: The coast). By 30 December vast areas of Southern and Central Queensland were affected by the flood. The conditions led to a large influx of snakes in the Rockhampton area, as well as some crocodiles. Flooding was widespread across Queensland and New South Wales from the end of December 2010 to January 2011 with several separate rain events causing rivers to rise over a lengthy period. Many places, including Condamine and Chinchilla were inundated by flood waters on multiple occasions. About 300 roads were closed, including nine major highways. During
5928-543: The collapse of fish and invertebrate populations. As of 2018 local pollution in China, which has by far the most coal-fired power stations, is forecast to be reduced further in the 2020s and 2030s, especially if small and low efficiency plants are retired early. Coal power plants tend to serve as base load technology, as they have high availability factors, and are relatively difficult and expensive to ramp up and down. As such, they perform poorly in real-time energy markets , where they are unable to respond to changes in
6032-438: The cost of generation, but there is the risk newer plants may become stranded assets . The UN Secretary General has said that OECD countries should stop generating electricity from coal by 2030, and the rest of the world by 2040. The first coal-fired power stations were built in the late 19th century and used reciprocating engines to generate direct current . Steam turbines allowed much larger plants to be built in
6136-518: The deployment was the largest for a natural disaster since Cyclone Tracy . About 35 State Emergency Service personnel from New South Wales and 20 personnel from Victoria were deployed to provide relief to exhausted staff and volunteers. A national appeal was established on 29 December, with the state and federal governments giving A$ 1 million each. Small businesses and primary producers in 13 local government areas became eligible for grants of up to A$ 25,000 to pay for costs from damage incurred as
6240-446: The early 20th century and alternating current was used to serve wider areas. Coal is delivered by highway truck, rail , barge , collier ship or coal slurry pipeline . Generating stations are sometimes built next to a mine; especially one mining coal, such as lignite , which is not valuable enough to transport long-distance; so may receive coal by conveyor belt or massive diesel-electric -drive trucks . A large coal train called
6344-514: The economiser boiler tubes rusted both before and after installation. AREVA Solar stopped production of that coating after that. Culminating that, in August 2014, AREVA announced its solar business exit. Per CS Energy, the project (having no thermal conservation/storage capacity) had problems with "rapidly moving clouds". Site Manager Ian Canham noted he had observed multiple problems with Areva Solar communication and planning. Also, workers brought in from
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#17328526076846448-454: The evacuation of 300 homes. The Bundaberg Port , a major sugar exporting facility, was closed late in December 2010 as flooding deposited silt in the port, forcing its closure. The port re-opened in early March 2011 after successful dredging operations allowed ships to berth. Chinchilla and Jericho were also inundated. At least 40 residents were evacuated from Chinchilla. Flooding in Dalby
6552-402: The flexibility of some coal-fired power stations could be improved they are less able to provide dispatchable generation than most gas-fired power plants . The most important flexibility is low minimum load; however, some flexibility improvements may be more expensive than renewable energy with batteries . As of 2020 two-thirds of coal burned is to generate electricity. In 2020 coal was
6656-468: The floating boardwalk was safely guided under the bridge by a tugboat and past other infrastructure before being safely secured. Brisbane's major Rugby league and Soccer (Association Football) venue, Suncorp Stadium , filled with water up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) deep, reaching the third or fourth row of seats. With the flood peaking at 4.46 metres (14.6 ft) in Brisbane City, the flood level
6760-631: The flood that followed, saying the "dam was run with outstanding precision." Isolated flooding started across parts of the state in early December. On 23 December, a monsoonal trough crossed the coast from the Coral Sea , bringing torrential rain that fell in a broad swath from the Gulf of Carpentaria to the Gold Coast . The widest range of intense rainfall occurred on 27 December (with very high daily totals recorded on 25 December, near where Cyclone Tasha crossed
6864-510: The flood waters had reached a height of 7 or 8 metres (23 or 26 ft) by the time it struck Grantham. The peak discharge rate around Withcott and Grantham where Lockyer Creek is joined by Gatton Creek, was estimated to be 3,500 m second. At least 100 people were evacuated to the Helidon Community Hall. Nine people were confirmed dead, and many more feared dead among 66 reported missing. The body of one victim washed away at Grantham
6968-478: The flooding it was reported that more than three-quarters of Queensland was affected by flooding. The flooding initially forced the evacuation of 1,000 people from Theodore and other towns, described as unprecedented by the acting chief officer of the Emergency Management Queensland . The military transported residents by helicopter to an evacuation centre at Moura . The total evacuation of
7072-501: The following weeks, five others died from similar circumstances. Nine people drowned after being caught directly by the flowing waters and thirteen people died in other circumstances. Thirteen-year-old Jordan Lucas Rice died 10 January 2011 after insisting that his 10-year-old brother, Blake, be saved from the flood waters before him. He drowned along with his mother, 43-year-old Donna Maree Rice, both being residents of Toowoomba . He has been called an Australian hero by
7176-445: The furnace-exit level and mix it with the incoming coal in fan-type mills that inject the pulverized coal and hot gas mixture into the boiler. The ash is often stored in ash ponds . Although the use of ash ponds in combination with air pollution controls (such as wet scrubbers ) decreases the amount of airborne pollutants, the structures pose serious health risks for the surrounding environment. Power utility companies have often built
7280-407: The global energy landscape and its environmental and climate impacts have made it a subject of concern. The misalignment of coal financing with international climate objectives, particularly the Paris Agreement , has garnered attention. The Paris Agreement aims to restrict global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and ideally limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Achieving these goals necessitates
7384-402: The land and water in rain, and then be converted into methylmercury by bacteria. Through biomagnification , this mercury can then reach dangerously high levels in fish. More than half of atmospheric mercury comes from coal-fired power plants. Coal-fired power plants also emit sulfur dioxide and nitrogen . These emissions lead to acid rain , which can restructure food webs and lead to
7488-560: The largest source of electricity at 34%. Over half coal generation in 2020 was in China. About 60% of electricity in China, India and Indonesia is from coal. In 2020 worldwide 2,059 GW of coal power was operational, 50 GW was commissioned, and 25 GW started construction (most of these three in China); and 38 GW retired (mostly USA and EU). In 2023, global coal power capacity increased to 2,130 GW, driven by China adding 47.4 GW. At COP26 2021, countries have joined
7592-470: The local hospital and aged care home were evacuated as a precaution and an evacuation centre was established. Heavy rain in the Mary River catchment on 8–9 January 2011 led to flooding at Maryborough and Gympie . The Mary River at Maryborough was expected to initially peak at 8.5 metres (28 ft) at midday 9 January with some houses and businesses inundated by flood waters. The city of Toowoomba , in
7696-454: The locational marginal price. In the United States, this has been especially true in light of the advent of cheap natural gas, which can serve as a fuel in dispatchable power plants that substitute the role of baseload on the grid. In 2020 the coal industry was subsidized $ US18 billion. Coal financing is the financial support provided for coal-related projects, encompassing coal mining and coal-fired power stations. Its role in shaping
7800-407: The maximum capacity they were capable of holding during the crisis period, which would have significantly alleviated flooding. Only one source, Neal Ashkanasy , who specialises in social and organisational psychology (and 35 years ago was involved in the design of Wivenhoe Dam ), found fault with these results and instead finds that the dam was operated correctly throughout the time of the storm and
7904-585: The media and in 2015 was post-humously awarded the Australian Bravery Medal for his sacrifice. More than 55,000 volunteers registered to help clean up the streets of Brisbane, with thousands more unregistered volunteers wandering the muddy streets with gumboots and mops. Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the volunteering effort showed tremendous 'Aussie spirit' and that, "... right across Queensland today people have got up, they've marched out of their homes and they've gone to find people to help. It's
8008-530: The month. The state's average rainfall level of 209.45 millimetres (8.25 in) exceeded the previous record of 200.1 millimetres (7.88 in) set in 1975. 2010 was also recorded as the state's wettest spring since 1900, and the Australian continent's third-wettest year. Climate scientist Kevin Trenberth thought climate change was a contributing factor in the unusually high precipitation rates. He attributed
8112-611: The objectives of reducing CO2 emissions set by the Paris Agreement, of which China, the United States and Japan are signatories. A substantial portion of the associated CO 2 emissions is anticipated to occur after 2019. Coal financing poses challenges to the global decarbonization of the power generation sector. As renewable energy technologies become cost-competitive, the economic viability of coal projects diminishes, making past fossil fuel investments less attractive. To address these concerns and align with climate goals, there
8216-590: The ones that they knock down, and we get up again. Together we can pull through this and that's what I'm determined to do, with your help, we can achieve it". Premier of Queensland Anna Bligh . Major General Michael Slater was appointed head of a civilian recovery task force. Slater was at the time also the Commander of the 1st Division based at the Gallipoli Barracks in Enoggera , Brisbane. The taskforce
8320-573: The plant. For transporting coal in calmer waters, such as rivers and lakes, flat-bottomed barges are often used. Barges are usually unpowered and must be moved by tugboats or towboats . For start up or auxiliary purposes, the plant may use fuel oil as well. Fuel oil can be delivered to plants by pipeline , tanker , tank car or truck. Oil is stored in vertical cylindrical steel tanks with capacities as high as 14,000 cubic metres (90,000 bbl). The heavier no. 5 "bunker" and no. 6 fuels are typically steam-heated before pumping in cold climates. As
8424-491: The ponds without liners , especially in the United States, and therefore chemicals in the ash can leach into groundwater and surface waters. Since the 1990s, power utilities in the U.S. have designed many of their new plants with dry ash handling systems. The dry ash is disposed in landfills, which typically include liners and groundwater monitoring systems. Dry ash may also be recycled into products such as concrete, structural fills for road construction and grout. Fly ash
8528-430: The project was cancelled. Kogan Creek being AREVA Solar's first commercial project, compounded by the supply chain inexperience, resulted in delays and rework. Works where suspended when an alternative local supplier had to be selected. The technology design was new and not completely optimised, causing more site labour. AREVA Solar treated the economiser boiler tubes with a "Solonyx" internally developed coating. But most of
8632-441: The rest of the world by 2040, otherwise limiting global warming to 1.5 °C, a target of the Paris Agreement , would be extremely difficult. A 2024 analysis by The Economist concluded that financing phase-out would be cheaper than carbon offsets . However phasing out in Asia can be a financial challenge as plants there are relatively young: in China the co-benefits of closing a plant vary greatly depending on its location. Vietnam
8736-535: The river peaked at 16.1 metres (53 ft) with floodwaters reaching two houses. Both towns were isolated for several days and there was major disruption to the potable water supply and local agricultural production. Bundaberg experienced severe flooding, the worst in 40 years, after the Burnett River flooded the city, although the Paradise Dam reservoir contributed to some flood mitigation. This resulted in
8840-483: The single largest cause of climate change . More than half of all the coal-fired electricity in the world is generated in China. In 2020 the total number of plants started falling as they are being retired in Europe and America although still being built in Asia, almost all in China. Some remain profitable because costs to other people due to the health and environmental impact of the coal industry are not priced into
8944-416: The soil around Toowoomba super saturated and when a line of storms hit the city on 10 January, the resulting torrential rain rapidly ran off down gullies and streets. The central business district of the city sits in a small valley where two small water courses—East Creek and West Creek—meet to form Gowrie Creek . Unable to cope with the volume of water heading toward them, the creeks burst their banks, pushing
9048-451: The suburbs of Goodna and Gailes . The flooding led to a rare plausible claim of sharks swimming in a flooded urban area , with reports of bull sharks swimming in two streets in Goodna's center. Further upstream, Hubners Bridge and Richards Bridge near Kilcoy were washed away. Both bridges have been rebuilt and reopened in 2012. In South East Queensland , the Wivenhoe Dam filled to
9152-634: The use of dry cooling technology when compared to conventional power stations using fresh water directly. Carbon Monitoring for Action estimates this power station emits 4.33 million tonnes of greenhouse gases each year as a result of burning coal . The Australian Government announced the introduction of a now cancelled Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme commencing in 2010 which was expected to impact on emissions from power stations. The National Pollutant Inventory provides details of other pollutant emissions, but, as at 23 November 2008, not CO 2 . A 28 kilometres (17 mi), 275kV transmission line from
9256-509: The western suburbs of Brisbane were cut off for three days. Resident of suburbs including Bellbowrie , Karana Downs , Moggill and Pullenvale were running low on food and other items when Moggill Road was cut, until the Australian Army was able to reach the area on 15 January with supplies. The Bremer River at Ipswich , 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Brisbane, reached a height of 19.4 metres (64 ft) on 12 January, inundating
9360-458: Was about the tenth-highest in the city's history, several metres below the 1890 flood and the two major floods in 1893. Some unique field measurements about the peak of the floods showed very substantial sediment fluxes in the Brisbane River flood plains consistent with the murky appearance of floodwaters. The field deployment showed also some unusual features of flood flow in an urban environment linked with some local topographic effects. Parts of
9464-452: Was being considered in China in 2020, but this is very expensive, reduces the energy output and for some plants is not technically feasible. Coal burning power plants kill many thousands of people every year with their emissions of particulates , microscopic air pollutants that enter human lungs and other human organs and induce a variety of adverse medical conditions, including asthma , heart disease , low birth weight and cancers . In
9568-758: Was closed to traffic. The river peaked at 9.2 metres (30 ft), just short of the predicted 9.4-metre (31 ft) maximum. The Port of Gladstone reduced its export capacity because the coal stockpiles at the port were saturated and further coal deliveries could not be made by rail. The Goonyella railway line which serves a number of coal mines in the Bowen Basin was closed for one week and shipments of grain were also delayed. The central Burnett towns of Gayndah and Mundubbera saw major flooding on 28–29 December. The Burnett River peaked at 18.25 metres (59.9 ft) at Mundubbera—the highest river height since 1942—inundating more than 20 houses. Downstream at Gayndah,
9672-561: Was completed in 2007. It was opened by the Queensland Premier Anna Bligh and Minister for Mines and Energy Geoff Wilson on 27 November 2007. The fuel source is the Kogan Creek coal deposit , which is also owned by CS Energy and will provide 2.8 million tonnes of black coal annually. The coal is delivered to the power station via a 4 km long conveyor belt . The coal mine is operated by Golding Contractors , who has
9776-722: Was declined by the Australian government. In addition to this, New Zealand sent a number of New Zealand Defence Force soldiers, mainly engineers, as well as New Zealand Police and New Zealand Fire Service firefighters. A New Zealand Red Cross team was also dispatched. On 9 January, the Flood Relief Appeal: Australia Unites telethon broadcast by the Nine Network from the Suncorp Piazza at South Bank Parklands , Brisbane raised more than A$ 10 million in pledged aid. The South Bank area, which includes
9880-494: Was described by an onlooker as "like Cyclone Tracy has gone through it ... If you dropped an atom bomb on it, you couldn't tell the difference." Nearby Helidon had several homes and farms flooded but did not break the main creek bank and enter the town. It was cut off from all sides by destroyed roads. Grantham was also devastated by the surge of water. Houses were left crumpled by what Premier of Queensland Anna Bligh described as an "inland tsunami ". According to local media,
9984-563: Was later replaced by the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, a new body created to co-ordinate the rebuilding program. The Australian Defence Force 's contribution to flood relief efforts was designated Operation Queensland Flood Assist . The ADF established Joint Task Force 637, based at Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane, for operational command on 1 January 2011. According to the Australian Prime Minister,
10088-433: Was mandatorily evacuated on 30 December. A second rain event on 9–10 January saw floodwaters again threaten Chinchilla and Condamine with Chinchilla residents again asked to evacuate. The Macintyre River , which forms part of the border between the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland, began to threaten the town of Goondiwindi on 13 January. While the town is protected by an 11-metre (36 ft) levee,
10192-452: Was particularly hard hit. The Queensland floods were followed by the 2011 Victorian floods which saw more than fifty communities in western and central Victoria also grapple with significant flooding. On 26 February 2021 the result of legal action, started in 2014 and won in 2019, was a partial settlement of A$ 440 million in compensation for thousands of flood victims, from the Queensland government and SunWater . The remaining $ 440 million
10296-495: Was praised for mitigating flooding in downstream Logan , having exceeded 80% of its capacity. In North Queensland , the town of Ingham became isolated as the Herbert River peaked. Homes at Babinda and Gordonvale were flooded. As of March 2012, 33 deaths have been attributed to the floods with 3 people still missing. The first death occurred on 30 November 2010, when a woman drowned in her vehicle near Dysart . In
10400-615: Was ready to help. John Key , the Prime Minister of New Zealand , held a telephone call with Gillard, during which she thanked New Zealand for its help. Len Brown , the Mayor of Auckland , a sister city of Brisbane, offered assistance to Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman . David Cameron , the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom offered his sympathies. Downing Street stated: "The Prime Minister offered his deep sympathy on behalf of
10504-417: Was recovered 80 kilometres (50 mi) downstream and Queensland Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson warned that some bodies may never be found. Nearby Gatton saw voluntary evacuations as the Lockyer Creek rose to a record height of 18.92 metres (62.1 ft), exceeding the previous record set in the 1893 Queensland floods . Three people from Grantham listed as missing were officially declared dead by
10608-568: Was started in June 2021 to develop technology to enable co-firing a significant amount of ammonia at a large-scale commercial coal-fired plant. However low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia is in demand for sustainable shipping , which unlike electricity generation, has few other clean options. Some power stations are being converted to burn gas, biomass or waste, and conversion to thermal storage will be trialled in 2023. Retrofitting some existing coal-fired power stations with carbon capture and storage
10712-457: Was the worst since 1981. The town's water purification system was flooded, resulting in water restrictions that hampered clean-up efforts. 112,500 litres (24,700 imp gal; 29,700 US gal) of water were transported to the town of 14,000 residents. Warwick was isolated when all roads into the town were cut off. The Condamine River reached 14.25 metres (46.8 ft) on 30 December, its highest level ever recorded. Condamine
10816-452: Was to be the largest integration of solar technology with a coal-fired power station in the world. Construction started in 2011 and was originally scheduled for completion by 2013. Difficulties with the project and commercial issues delayed the project. It was stated that the project, involving the installation of a CLFR solar thermal system, was capable of generating 44 MW electrical at peak solar conditions. But additional sources state that
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