<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/labors-green-aluminium-play-is-canny-politics-not-least-for-exposing-duttons-wilful-energy-ignorance/>
"In the wake of federal Labor’s announcement on Monday of a $2 billion green
aluminium production credit scheme, it has been difficult to find anyone
outside of Liberal National Party ranks who isn’t loudly singing its praises.
The Australia Aluminium Council, for starters, is thrilled – after all, this is
more or less exactly what it asked for in a submission to federal energy
minister Chris Bowen in July last year.
“In his 2019 book,
Superpower: Australia’s Low-Carbon Opportunity, Ross
Garnaut discussed Australia’s potential to best utilise its abundant bauxite
reserves by leveraging Australia’s renewable energy potential to create a
competitive advantage in aluminium production by reducing energy costs to
produce low carbon aluminium,” the submission says.
“The Council believes that government support is needed, in the form a
production credit, until Australian energy costs reduce in line with
projections.”
Two things worth noting from the above extract and the AAC’s broader submission
are that the idea of using Australia’s abundant renewable energy to breathe
life back into one of its most valuable industries has been around for some
time – including back during the federal Coalition’s long time in power.
The second point worth noting is that nowhere in the 27-page submission that
offers feedback on the Albanese government’s
Future Made in Australia policy
and details the aluminium industry’s potential decarbonisation pathways does
nuclear power get a single mention.
That is because, to paraphrase a report by IEEFA guest author Clark Butler from
June 2020 – back when the federal Coalition and fossil fuels still reined
supreme – Australia’s aluminium sector is failing, with all smelter operators
losing money and considering closure.
It needs cheaper cleaner power, now. And if it has to wait for nuclear to save
the day – assuming that Australia could defy the odds and build nuclear from
scratch to deliver cheap electricity – it will be far too late."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
