World
Turnbull vows to prevent power shortages after energy warning
Canberra, Sep 6 (IANS) Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Wednesday vowed to eliminate future crippling power shortages despite a warning from the AEMO that the country faces a shortfall in energy in the next five years.
Addressing all concerns, Turnbull hinted at extending the life of the Liddell coal-fired power plant for up to an additional five years.
The Prime Minister said the government would do everything it could to keep the lights on and keep prices lower for Australians.
“There are short-term problems which AEMO is addressing, but in particular after 2022, which is when Liddell power plant closes, AEMO expects a 1,000-megawatt gap,” Xinhua quoted Turnbull as saying at a press conference here.
“The year 2022 is a critical date, as it’s also a year or two prior to Snowy Hydro 2.0 coming online. We now need to put in place all the options to ensure we find that 1,000-megawatt gap in dispatchable energy,” he added.
The Prime Minister said that he would discuss with energy company AGL — which owns Liddell — the prospect of either keeping the power station online for longer or facilitating the sale of the station to another operator in order to keep supply up and running.
“We have had several discussions with AGL and its CEO Andy Vesey about the Liddell power station continuing for a longer period — up to an additional five years,” Turnbull said.
“AGL has said they want to close it by 2022, but that they’re prepared to discuss the sale to a responsible party.”
Turnbull said the generators and companies obviously prefer prices to be high, but the “government’s responsibility is to the Australian people and that energy is affordable”.
Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg, who was also present at the press conference, said AGL had in the past said that it would “consider” the sale of the asset despite the scheduled closure in 2022.
“Both the PM and I have spoken to Andy Vesey and we will be meeting with him again on Monday to discuss our options,” Frydenberg said.
“What we’ve heard from the AEMO is that there is a concern — with Liddell scheduled to close in 2022 — that there will be insufficient supply in the market.”
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) in a report said that unless current coal-fired power stations had their lives extended, Australia faces a shortfall of more than 1,000 megawatts until the government’s Snowy Hydro 2.0 pumped hydro power station is built later next decade.
Snowy Hydro 2.0 is a pumped hydroelectric dam project which was announced by the Turnbull government earlier in the year, the report said.
The project, expected to cost upwards of 2 billion Australian dollars ($1.6 billion) and take up to six years to complete, is expected to provide an additional 2,000 megawatts of power to the grid once completed.
“We face an increasing and unacceptable risk that there will be insufficient capability in the system,” the report said.
“In turn, this exposes consumers to a heightened risk of involuntary and unacceptable load shedding (blackouts).”
Meanwhile, AGL in a statement said it had “committed to the closure of the Liddell Power Station in 2022, which is the end of its operating life”.
The government will now have to convince Vesey and AGL to reconsider their options in order to keep the lights on for millions of Australians.
–IANS
amit/dg
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
Cheers and Cheers: Barzilla’s Joyful Ode to Inclusivity and Celebration
Casino Days Reveal Internal Data on Most Popular Smartphones
Meghalaya Reserves Legalized Gambling and Sports Betting for Tourists
IPL 20202 UPDATE: KXIP vs MI IPL Dream11 Team Prediction for Today Match, Update Point Table of all Team.
In a Live debate AAP leader Syed Asad Abbas hurls abuses to BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
‘India’s Most Wanted’ trailer out Arjun Kapoor on hunt of Osama-Bin-Laden
Time to move on: Sonakshi on Shatrughan’s joining Congress
