More power generators will be needed if the Western Australian (WA) government succeeds in decarbonising—and electrifying—much of its economy, with new modelling revealing electricity needs to increase five-fold.
The Cook Labor government on Dec. 13 released its sectoral emissions reduction strategy (SERS) among dozens of other initiatives that aim to drive wider electrification in WA.
The strategy revealed a plan to pour billions of dollars into transforming the state’s transmission infrastructure, establish a “green export industry,” and invest over $200 million (US$133 million) in accelerating the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs).
Higher Electricity Demand
The government’s modelling suggested that demand could “increase more than five-fold for current and new applications in the SWIS (South West Interconnected System) and Pilbara by 2050.”“This includes electrification of transport, mining, natural gas liquefaction and chemical production, and development of future industries such as hydrogen and green ammonia,” the strategy said.
The document also revealed the state’s plan to replace thermal generation with zero‑emissions electricity, which will “require more renewable generation and storage because of the variable nature of wind and solar resources.”
Electricity Decarbonisation
In an attempt to decarbonise the electricity sector, the government had secured up to $3 billion (US$2 billion) from the federal government’s Rewiring the Nation program and is spending more than $2 billion (US$1.34 billion) on extensive battery systems in Kwinana and Collie.“Achieving net zero emissions across the economy requires the electricity sector to decarbonise faster than other sectors while meeting a step change in total demand as other sectors electrify,” the report noted.
The state is “well positioned to become a globally significant exporter of green hydrogen and green ammonia and contribute to the decarbonisation of global steelmaking,” according to WA Climate Action Minister Reece Whitby.
The state currently accounts for about half of global lithium production and is a major exporter of nickel, cobalt, manganese, and rare earths.
Under the plan, the government would invest heavily in the SWIS—the state’s primary energy grid—and in the Pilbara region to develop the transmission infrastructure required for decarbonisation plans and to create renewable generation hubs.
Mr. Whitby said that the state government “has an important role to play in incentivising and facilitating investment in Western Australia’s net zero transition.”
Net Zero Goals
Under the WA government’s net zero target, the state would cut emissions from its operations to 80 percent below 2020 levels and retire all state‑owned coal‑fired electricity generation by 2030.The strategy also projected that by 2050, up to 96 percent of energy consumed would come from renewable generation, compared with 34 percent currently in the SWIS and 2 percent in the Pilbara.
At the same time, the government would fast-track the approval process of electricity transmission infrastructure. It has set up a $32 million dedicated Green Energy Approvals team to streamline approvals for proponents and investors in renewable energy, critical minerals, and hydrogen projects.
In addition, $4.3 million (US$2.88 million) would go to developing a carbon capture utilisation and storage action plan to “address emissions from LNG production and to support the development of new low‑carbon industries.”
In terms of transport, the state set up an ambitious plan of cutting transport emissions by about 70 percent by 2050 and increased the public sector EV target to “at least 50 percent of all new fleet purchases.”
WA’s Energy And Gas Shortage
Additional investment in decarbonisation comes despite concerns that WA is heading for an energy shortage as a result of the transition to a renewable economy.Meanwhile, the AEMO’s annual outlook on the WA gas market revealed the state’s shortage of gas supply might force it to depend on natural gas that comes from storage from the export market.
