Emissions

Environment

Greenhouse emissions

CS Energy has reduced its emissions intensity by 17 per cent since 1997 through a strategy of diversifying into gas, building state of the art power stations and closing older, less-efficient plants.

We’re working to continually reduce our greenhouse emissions intensity through an extensive research and development program, which includes a $200 million carbon capture and storage project and the integration of renewable energy technologies into our electricity generation process.

CS Energy reports its greenhouse emissions, energy consumption and energy production to the Australian Government under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 1997.  This data is available from the Department of Climate Change. 

Other air emissions

CS Energy’s power stations also emit oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and sulphur (SOx) as a by-product of combusting fossil fuels. Australian black coal has a relatively low sulphur content and modern power stations have technologies in place to reduce NOx emissions. For example, our Kogan Creek and Callide C power stations are fitted with low-NOx burner technology.  Data on these emissions is available from the National Pollutant Inventory. 

 

Fly ash management

Fly ash is a fine powder released from all coal-fired power stations as a by-product of burning coal to generate electricity. At Swanbank, Kogan Creek and Callide, more than 99.9 per cent of fly ash produced is collected in giant vacuum cleaner-like filters.

The captured fly ash can then be recycled and used as a cement replacement in concrete, a soil improver, an adsorbent for oil waste removal, or as fill in large civil engineering projects such as highway embankments.

We recycle over 100,000 tonnes of fly ash per year, supplying Cement Australia, Global Cement, Renewed Resources and Transpacific.

As a member of the Ash Development Association of Australia, which promotes the beneficial use of power station fly ash, we are continually looking for new ways to reuse fly ash in environmentally friendly ways.