Fresh off hitting new records for renewable energy generation, Queensland is paving the way to nurse its second oldest coal power station through a few more years of life.
The state approved an extra 21 years for the mining lease for the Meandu coal mine which will take the production life “into the 2040’s [sic].”
The extra coal will power the aging Tarong power station, originally due to retire in the late 2030s, and the newer Tarong North plant into the 2040s, mining minister Dale Last said in a statement on Monday.
“The former Labor government was set to close our coal-fired power stations but under our Energy Plan they will continue well into the future,” he said.
“Coal is essential for energy security – when the sun doesn’t shine, the wind doesn’t blow and the batteries run dead – coal continues to power Queensland.”
