POWER AND THE PASSION: Vales Point Power Station extension raises pollution and public health risks, doctor claims

Vales Point co-owner, the billionaire Trevor St Baker, has spoken publicly about plans to extend the life of the coal-fired plant by 20 years.

Bought from the NSW government for $1 million in 2015, the plant is presently due to shut in 2029.

This is despite Origin Energy announcing the Eraring coal-fired plant in west Lake Macquarie could close in 2025, seven years earlier than planned.

National Pollutant Inventory data showed the Vales Point plant emits about 21 million kilograms of nitrogen oxides [NOx] a year.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority [EPA] agreed last December to vary Vales Point's licence requirements, reducing nitrogen oxide limits by 23 to 35 per cent.

Critics said the EPA didn't go far enough and should have tightened pollution laws decades ago. The Nature Conservation Council said at the time that "the levels of pollution granted to Vales are illegal for coal power stations in other countries".

"Part of the reason the EPA renewed Vales' air pollution licence without seriously tightening NOx emission standards was the belief that the station would soon close," said Dr Charlton, an associate professor and asthma expert.

"We know that air pollution of any description is bad for our lungs. When the air pollution is worse it makes people's asthma worse."

Research showed that nitrogen dioxide "triggers asthma, particularly in children".

"It may be the thing that sets children's asthma off. That's from a number of studies around the world."

Delta Electricity, the operator of Vales Point, stated that "limits for emissions such as oxides of nitrogen have already been tightened".

"Independent EPA analysis consistently shows that air quality on the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie is very good and amongst the best in NSW," it said.

"It should be highlighted that the largest contributor of NO2 [nitrogen dioxide] is vehicle emissions."

Dr Charlton said the "concentration of air toxins" caused problems when weather conditions made "them even more concentrated" at ground level.

"On some days it's fine, but on other days it can all come together and cause a crisis, like in Melbourne with thunderstorm asthma [which resulted in 10 deaths and 14,000 people taken to hospital]".

Studies showed the "dirty coal-fired power station" had helped cause asthma in about "650 children a year on the Central Coast and in Lake Macquarie", he said.

Delta said in a new statement that Origin's early closure of Eraring and speculation around the future of AGL's Bayswater plant had "created uncertainty in the electricity market and future energy affordability and security".

It was concerned about "firming capacity projects" not being completed in time to "support the growth in renewables".

"While Vales Point has a notional life until 2029, Delta has completed preliminary investigations to identify what additional work would be required to extend the life of the plant beyond this date, should it be required," it said.

Delta was committed to "affordable and reliable power", but "supports an orderly transition to a renewable future". Delta's board will decide on the future of Vales Point in the years ahead, "once the state of the electricity grid is more certain following the closures of Liddell and Eraring".

This report appears as part of the Newcastle Herald's 'Power and the Passion' special report investigating the Hunter's energy transition away from coal-fired power to renewable energy alternatives. Read the full series here, and listen to the Voice of Real Australia podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your preferred platform

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