Video of the Day: The end of coal generation in South Australia

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This video shows the destruction of the boilers of the now closed Northern brown coal generator in Port Augusta, bringing to a spectacular end the era of coal fired generation in South Australia.

The highly polluting coal plants were closed last year, and will be replaced in coming years by significant investment in renewable generation in and around Port Augusta.

The 220MW Bungala solar farm is already under construction, and the 215MW Lincoln Gap is about to reach financial close.

DP Energy has named contractors for a 375MW wind-solar farm, the largest hybrid plant in Australia, that will use the Devenport sub-station once used by Northern. DP Energy is looking to add another 300MW of solar and 400MW of battery storage.

In nearby Whyalla, Liberty OneSteel, the new owner of the local steelworks, plans 520MW of large scale solar, pumped hydro, battery storage and demand management to green its energy source and slash costs.

It will build a further 480MW of large scale solar to supply other big energy users, if federal policy proposals such as the National Energy Guarantee do not get in the way.

Giles Parkinson is founder and editor-in-chief of Renew Economy, and founder and editor of its EV-focused sister site The Driven. He is the co-host of the weekly Energy Insiders Podcast. Giles has been a journalist for more than 40 years and is a former deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review. You can find him on LinkedIn and on Twitter.

Giles Parkinson

Giles Parkinson is founder and editor-in-chief of Renew Economy, and founder and editor of its EV-focused sister site The Driven. He is the co-host of the weekly Energy Insiders Podcast. Giles has been a journalist for more than 40 years and is a former deputy editor of the Australian Financial Review. You can find him on LinkedIn and on Twitter.

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