Energy in Australia

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Energy in Australia

• Preliminary presentation by
• Prof Jim Falk
• Australian Centre for Science, Innovation and
  Society
• for the Asian Energy Security Project

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• Australia is a major producer of coal and uranium

Two thirds of the energy Australia produces is
exported
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Worlds largest exporter coal since 1986
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Australia is a large user of energy per capita
but has a small population. Energy use is
growing, and in 2005-2006, primary energy
consumption totalled 5640 PJ
Energy consumption by industry
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Australias major energy sources are coal and oil
Primary energy consumption, 2005-2006
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Australias Energy Resource Reserves
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For the last 15 years or so, energy consumption
had been growing at around 2-4 per year, below
the rate of growth of GDP, and declining.
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Renewables

• Currently 5 of primary energy consumption
• Amount has not been increasing significantly,
  despite good resources for renewables (e.g. sun)
• Wind power and biogas and liquids are growing but
  from a small base (government projects 30 PJ of
  wind power in 2020)
• Production of hydroelectricity fell between 1996
  and 2006, due to drought

Renewables consumption, 2005-2006
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Australias conservative government projects a
future growth in energy consumption largely as in
the past
Primary energy consumption
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Australias energy production is also projected
to continue much as it has been, with continued
dependence on coal exports
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Electricity production projection
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The Australia Institute offers a different
achievable energy growth pattern to meet GHG
emission reductions
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Which projection becomes the future depends on
choices still to be made
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Australian Governments will increasingly finding
themeselves caught between their economic
dependence on coal and the political and physical
impacts of climate change. Australian agriculture
is currently struggling through the worst drought
on record.
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Energy policiesKyoto not ratifiedFederal
election November 24, which the conservative
government may lose, after 11 years in
poweropposition is promising to ratify Kyoto,
but aims to reduce emissions through clean
coalExisting government is promising to source
108 PJ from low emission sources every year, by
2020 with a 15 MRETThe opposition is promising
to substantially increase renewable energy
targets, and has set a national 20 MRET.
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Energy security Depletable resources at current
production levels
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Australia and the nuclear industry (more detail
afternoon presentation)
The existing government has been considering
introducing nuclear power to Australia, but
convincing the population may be hard. ANSTO
strongly lobbying for nuclear power It may loose
the November 24 election, after 11 years in
power The opposition is opposed to domestic
nuclear power, but recently changed its position
to support increased uranium mining All State
governments have legislated against nuclear power
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Regional cooperation

• Australia recently agreed to sell uranium to
  China, and has been considering selling uranium
  to India, but this is currently stalled
• Australia is part of the Asia-Pacific Economic
  Cooperation Energy Working Group (APEC EWG),
  which aims to facilitate energy trade and
  investment, and ensure that energy contributes to
  the economic, social and environmental
  enhancement of the APEC community
• Current government and opposition argue for
  importance of alliance with the US, with the
  government seeking a regional deputy role,
  supporting US position on climate change, and
  taking part in Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean
  Development and Climate.
• Australia recently agreed to join GNEP (no waste
  storage, no restriction on enrichment).

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• Coal exporter and consumer

Renewables
Nuclear power