The Port of Newcastle, the largest in the world, located in Australia, will now use 100% renewable energy in its activities, despite still exporting 165 million tons of coal annually

The announcement that Australia's Port of Newcastle, the world's largest coal port, will now run entirely on renewable energy comes at a time when coal-fired power generation in the country's electricity market has reached an all-time high. low level during the last three months of last year. While the port in Australia continues to export around 165 million tonnes of coal a year, the switch to renewable energy is part of a plan to decarbonise the business by 2040, and to expand the non-polluting part of the port so that coal is only responsible for half of its revenue through the beginning of the next decade.

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Australia's coal port to use wind energy

The agreement was signed with an Iberdrola wind energy park, located in the interior of New South Wales, for the purchase of renewable energy at retail. It offers the port large-scale generation certificates.

As part of its move, the Port of Newcastle has also converted almost all of its vehicles to electric and has also become involved in other infrastructure projects to reduce its CO2 emissions in its activities.

According to researcher at the Faculty of Climate and Energy at the University of Melbourne, Dylan McConnell, in the last three months of last year, coal's share of the electricity grid decreased by almost 6% compared to the same period in 2020, while gas recorded its smallest quarter of generation since 2004. On the other hand, the generation of photovoltaic solar energy by companies and residences grew by 24%, and that of wind energy by 6,4%.

Coal production and harm to the human body are highlighted by specialists

According to Port Australia CEO Craig Carmody, the switch to renewable energy was necessary, stressing that it is preferable to do it now while still having control over the company's destiny. What could not be done in a crisis situation, where the Port of Newcastle's income would collapse.

When coal is mined, a huge cloud of dust is generated and the toxic particles that are emitted in this process can stay in the air for weeks. These particles are breathed and, in addition, can fall to the ground, polluting crops and rivers. Coal mining releases carcinogenic substances such as Mercury, Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Uranium, Thorium, among others.

Australia's renewable energy market continues to expand

Renewable energy in Australia continues to expand and is forecast to further accelerate its growth over the next 10 years. 21% of the country's total electricity production in 2019 came from clean energy sources, achieving a 46% increase in solar power generation and 19% in wind power, according to the latest Australian Government Energy Report.

The projection is that by the beginning of the next decade, emissions from the energy sector will decrease by 23% in Australia, and that the proportion of clean energy in mix of generation reach the rate of 48%.