QAZAQ GREEN.  Western Australia will retire its two state-owned coal power plants by 2030 and plans an “orderly transition” to reliance on renewable energy and energy storage.

The state government said the continued growth of renewable energy – and rooftop solar in particular – is driving down the economic competitiveness of coal. To ensure reliability of electricity supply and guard against prices to consumers rising, it will invest heavily in “green power infrastructure”.

A joint statement was issued on Tuesday (14 June) by state Premier Mark McGowan and Minister for Mines, Petroleum and Energy Bill Johnston which outlined a A$3.8 billion (US$2.66 billion) investment plan and gave retirement dates for the two plants, Collie and Muja.

Collie is closing in late 2027 while some of Muja’s units will go offline this year, more in 2024 and the remainder before the end of 2029, the statement said.

The A$3.8 billion investment – at present the figure is an estimate – will largely go towards upgrades of the Australian southwest’s grid network, the South West Interconnected System (SWIS).

Read more: https://www.energy-storage.news/western-australia-invests-a3-8-billion-to-manage-coal-to-renewables-...