Labor has backflipped on its support for a controversial gas-fired power station at Kurri Kurri.
Opposition leader Anthony Albanese flew into the Hunter yesterday ahead of the announcement that, should his party win the next Federal election, it will now back the taxpayer-funded Kurri plant on one condition: it is converted to run solely on green hydrogen power as soon as possible.
Mr Albanese says Labor’s plan guarantees jobs and investment for the long haul in the Hunter, while the Coalition’s is short-sighted.
“The problem with the original proposal put forward by the Government is that all of the experts say you could end up with a stranded asset,” Mr Albanese said.
One of the major criticisms of the Liberal-National plan is that they only intend to run the peaking plant full throttle about 2% per annum, with many questioning the business sense behind the move let alone the impact on the environment.
A Labor Government would see the Kurri facility run by Snowy Hydro operate initially on 30% green hydrogen, before eventually going 100% green as soon as possible, in line with the Labor’s pledge to reduce emissions by 43% by 2030 and net zero by 2050 target.
The Opposition leader says it is a no-brainer, ensuring sustainable jobs and turn the region into a hydrogen hub.
“Our plan provides for more secure jobs for the workers, investment in the Hunter, and more reliable power for Australia,” he said.
Labor says it will work with Snowy Hydro and experts on the details of the commitment, and make an additional equity injection to deliver the final project.