The problem with brown coal
In 2008, brown coal fueled 96 percent of the electricity generated in Victoria, making it a huge contributor to our total greenhouse gas emissions. It creates more pollution than other fuels such as black coal, natural gas and much more than clean renewable energy, making Victorians among the most greenhouse polluting people per capita on the planet.
What is brown coal?
Coal is formed when plant material is subjected to high temperatures and pressures lasting millions of years. Several stages are involved in the formation of coal. These are:
- Plant material, wood
- Peat
- Brown coal (lignite)
- Black coal (sub-bituminous, bituminous and anthracite)
Each successive stage has a lower water content and a higher energy content. This means that when the same quantity of each material is burnt, a greater amount of heat is released for each successive stage.
Victorian brown coal has a high moisture content, containing more moisture than black coal – it can contain up to 70 percent water. This high moisture content makes long distance transportation uneconomic and so brown coal is not currently used for export markets. But that doesn’t mean big polluting companies don’t want to try. Check out the story behind our campaign against exporting brown coal here [below].
How is brown coal used to generate electricity?
Brown coal is pulverized and then burned in large-scale boilers. The heat is used to boil water and the steam is used to drive turbines that generate electricity. Brown coal forms the basis for 96 percent of electricity generation in Victoria. More than 65 million tonnes of brown coal are produced per year in this state.
In fact, we rely on brown coal more now than at any other time since the building of the Snowy Hydro Scheme. Over the last 10 years, Victoria’s reliance on coal has increased – right at the time when we should have been moving away from this polluting energy source towards a cleaner future.
Here are some facts about brown coal and Victoria:
- Because brown coal fuels 96 percent of the electricity generated in Victoria, we are among the world's worst greenhouse polluters.
- Burning brown coal is the most greenhouse polluting way to produce electricity. It is 33 percent more polluting than black coal, two or three times worse than natural gas and far, far worse than renewable energy.
- In total, Australia’s 27 principal coal power stations release more than 170 million tonnes of greenhouse gases or the equivalent of 40 million cars.
Let’s end the reign of brown coal in Victoria, and start working towards a renewable energy future today. Get involved in the campaign here
Check out the alternatives to polluting coal
Exporing brown coal is the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard of.
Unfortunately, a number of companies are now lobbying the Victorian Government for approvals and funding to set up a new brown coal export industry in Victoria to ship polluting brown coal to the developing world. These companies are arguing for a government allocation of more coal – 13 billion tonnes more. If used, this coal would create the equivalent of 20 years worth of Australia’s total greenhouse pollution.
Environment Victoria spearheaded a strong community campaign against this proposal in late 2009, and we’ve won in the short term. But that doesn’t mean this dumb idea won’t end up back on the table after the state election in November. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this one, so stay tuned for more.
Check out details from our big win
Check out what happened in the campaign against exporting coal
more resources
Alcoa ties its future to polluting coal generation
Why brown coal should stay in the ground, Institute of Sustainable Futures. Check it out
The case against further coal allocation
Near Zero Emissions from Latrobe Valley Brown Coal, Final Report
