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The AGL Earth tool provides and interactive view of AGL's power generation assets, including visualisations of key renewables. |
Wind Power Generation
Wind energy is a sustainable, economic and environmentally responsible alternative to burning fossil fuels (coal, gas or oil). It is one of the cheapest and most effective forms of renewable generation.
Wind power has many benefits compared to conventional electricity generation from fossil fuels, the main one being no greenhouse gas emissions or other air pollution.
AGL operates a number of wind farms in Australia with new development projects in the pipeline.
- View more information about the AGL Oaklands Hill Wind Farm in Victoria.
Hydro-electric Generation
AGL owns 10 hydro-electric generating schemes comprising 16 power stations in Victoria and NSW.
AGL's hydro assets produce no greenhouse gas emissions and are renewable and long life assets that provide considerable long term benefits to the company's asset portfolio. Their generating characteristics provide greater flexibility to the wholesale electricity portfolio through the quick start up capabilities of 610 MW of capacity across the southern National Electricity Market (NEM). The hydro generation assets are operated by AGL through an experienced management and operations team of around 70 employees based at AGL sites in Mt Beauty and Eildon, Victoria.
- View more information about AGL's Bogong Power Station
Gas Fired Electricity Generation
AGL owns and operates two gas fired electricity generation plants in South Australia and Victoria. Both of the generation plants produce significantly less greenhouse gas emissions than the State average.
Gas-fired peaking plants typically produce around 0.7 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per MWh. This compares favourably with the emissions from coal (around 1 tonne per MWh).
- View more information about AGL's Torrens Island Power Station expansion project.
Coal-fired Electricity Generation
Most of Australia’s electricity is produced using coal as the principal fuel. While coal is relatively economic as a fuel source, its high capital costs require consistent operation (baseload) to be economic.
AGL has a 32.5% equity investment in Loy Yang Power, one of Australia’s largest coal-fired power stations.
Landfill Gas, Biogas and Bagasse Generation
AGL owns and operates several renewable landfill gas and biogas (sewage) generation facilities across Australia.
In addition to generating renewable energy, these facilities help to further reduce greenhouse gases by capturing and destroying methane (a greenhouse gas 21 times stronger than carbon dioxide).
Cogeneration
Cogeneration involves the use of a heat engine to produce both electricity and heat. This form of energy production is more efficient, produces less greenhouse gas emissions and is often highly economical for businesses.
- AGL built, owns and operates a 4.4 MW gas fired cogeneration plant at Cooper's Brewery in South Australia.
- AGL built, owns and operates a 4.4 MW gas fired cogeneration plant at Symex Holdings in Port Melbourne, Victoria.
Solar Energy
Solar energy is one of the most popular forms of renewable technology for households as it can be situated on rooftops.
However, it is relatively expensive at present although costs may fall due to innovation and technological improvements.
AGL owns one large scale solar electricity generator.
- Find out about solar energy for your home.
Coal Seam Methane Generation
Coal seam gas (CSG) occurs naturally within coal seams and is known as natural gas. Natural gas has been identified as the optimum transition fuel for power generation in response to climate change.
Traditionally NSW has relied on importing its gas supplies from inter-state.
There are significant CSG reserves in NSW which can help secure gas supply to NSW residents and businesses.
View more information about AGL's coal seam gas exploration projects:
Natural Gas
AGL is one of Australia’s largest retailers of natural gas. Natural gas is used by:
- Households for heating, cooking and hot water; and
- Commercial and industrial businesses for heating, hot water and other industrial processes.
AGL currently sells around 190 PJ of natural gas to customers in Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales (1 MJ is approximately equivalent to the energy required to boil water for 14 cups of tea!).
AGL is a retailer of natural gas but does not own the pipeline infrastructure that is used to transport gas to the end customer. AGL sources gas from a number of areas:
- Cooper Basin: AGL has contracts in place to buy gas from the Cooper Basin in South Australia.
- Bowen and Surat Basin: In addition to owning 27.6% of the Queensland Gas Company, AGL purchases gas from the Bowen and Surat Basins in Queensland.
- Gippsland Basin: AGL has contracts in place to buy gas from the Gippsland and Otway Basins offshore in southern Australia.
- Sydney Basin: AGL has both gas reserves and contracts in place in the Sydney Basin.
Burning natural gas produces less greenhouse gas emissions than other fossil fuels. For each GJ of energy produced, natural gas combustion emits around 50 kg of greenhouse gases. For each GJ of energy produced, coal combustion emits around 90 kg of greenhouse gases.