Kim Carr (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have been provided with an answer from the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts in response to a question asked by Senator Allison. I seek leave to incorporate that.

Leave granted.

The document read as follows—

Senator Allison asked the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, upon notice, on 12 February 2008:

With reference to the Renewable Remote Power Generation Programme, initiated in 2001:

(1)

For each year of its operation, what has been the expenditure on the program,

(2)

How many recipients, in each of the categories of individuals, pastoral stations, other businesses and aboriginal communities, have been recipients of funding under the program.

(3)

What is the estimated level of displacement of diesel fuel due to the program.

(4)

What is the estimated level of greenhouse abatement due to the program: (a) to date; and (b) to 2010.

Senator Wong—The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts has provided the following answer to the Honourable Senator’s question:

(1)

For each year of its operation, what has been the expenditure on the program.Total annual Commonwealth expenditure on the Renewable Remote Power Generation Program (RRPGP) is shown in the following table.

(2)

How many recipients, in each of the categories of individuals, pastoral stations, other businesses and aboriginal communities, have been recipients of funding under the program?To the end of June 2007, the number of RRPGP rebate recipients is summarised in the following table.

Notes

1.     Recipient numbers include those receiving small rebates for renewable energy water pumping applications, rebates for stand-alone power systems and rebates for major projects.

2.     Other businesses include community organisations, not-for-profit organisations, government facilities, retail/roadhouses, tourism facilities and utilities.

3.     Aboriginal Communities include outstations where there may only be one house.  Outstations where there are 2 to 4 houses, each with a renewable stand-alone power system, are counted as 2 to 4 recipients.

4.     This table does not include RRPGP Industry Support projects.

(3)  What is the estimated level of displacement of diesel fuel due to the program.

Projects completed by the end of June 2007 are estimated to displace the consumption of approximately 21.7 million litres of diesel per year.

Notes

1.     In 2004, program eligibility was expanded to include renewable generation projects displacing any fossil fuel in remote areas, for example, petrol, LPG, natural gas, fuel oils.  The above figure represents a power generation diesel equivalent.

2.     Some rebate applicants do not provide an estimate of diesel savings, (for example, new facilities or sites where power was previously not available).  For these sites, diesel savings have been interpolated from the average of the sites in that state that do estimate diesel savings.

3.     Diesel savings for the installation of 1 kilowatt of photovoltaics can vary depending on the type of power system used prior to the installation of renewable generation.  In some cases, there may be no actual reduction in diesel consumption but rather a change in power availability from 10 to 24 hours per day and increased electrical load due to the replacement of old kerosene and LPG fridges with electric fridges and other new electrical appliances.

(4)   What is the estimated level of greenhouse abatement due to the program a) to date; and b) to 2010.

(a)   The estimated greenhouse gas savings for installations completed as at 30 June 2007 is about 65,000 tonnes per year, ongoing over the lifetime of the technologies installed.

Notes

1.     A full fuel cycle figure of 3kg/litre of diesel has been used for this estimate. 

2.     It is difficult to estimate the exact level of cumulative greenhouse abatement from the program to date because of the different commissioning dates for each of the more than 4000 installations.  The estimated level is in the order of 230,000 tonnes to June 2007, however, the annual greenhouse abatement noted above is more commonly used.

(b)   Based on installations to date, the forecast greenhouse gas savings for installations completed as at 30 June 2010 is about 100,000 tonnes per year, ongoing over the lifetime of the technologies installed.

Notes

1.        It is difficult to predict the amount and mix of fixed photovoltaics, tracking photovoltaics, concentrating photovoltaics, wind, hydro and biomass generation technologies that will be installed in the period to 30 June 2010.  The amount spent on essential enabling equipment and the scale and location of the projects will also influence the amount of annual greenhouse gas abatement.