{"id":34838,"date":"2016-10-29T21:52:35","date_gmt":"2016-10-29T10:52:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nofibs.com.au\/?p=34838"},"modified":"2019-04-16T13:31:10","modified_gmt":"2019-04-16T03:31:10","slug":"frydenberg-in-hazelwood-power-station-closure-talks-with-engie-in-paris-reports-takvera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.nofibs.com.au\/frydenberg-in-hazelwood-power-station-closure-talks-with-engie-in-paris-reports-takvera\/","title":{"rendered":"Frydenberg in #Hazelwood power station closure talks with Engie in Paris reports @takvera"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Hazelwood

Hazelwood Power Station from Yallourn.
Photo: John Englart<\/p><\/div>\n

Josh Frydenberg, Australian Energy and Environment Minister, was in Paris this week to meet with the Management of Engie, the owners of the Hazelwood coal fired Power station. <\/p>\n

It has been rumoured Hazelwood may close down as soon as April 2017, and Engie is under pressure from the French state to disengage from coal. The French state owns a one third share of Engie.<\/p>\n

Engie, trading as GDF SUEZ\/ Australian Energy, is listed as the third highest carbon polluter in Australia by the Australian Conservation Foundation. In the 2014-2015 year Hazelwood Hazelwood was responsible for 15.5 MT CO2-e of emissions. It’s emissions intensity was 1.4 Tonnes CO2\/MWh. (See Australia’s Biggest Polluters PDF<\/a>)<\/p>\n

“We’re very conscious at the Federal Government level of the heightened speculation about Hazelwood’s future,” he told 774 ABC Melbourne’s Mornings with Jon Faine as reported<\/a> at the ABC online.
\n<\/p>\n

“But as for a formal response from the Federal Government and no doubt from the State Government, that will come when a formal decision is taken and, as I understand it, no formal decision has yet been taken by the two companies.”<\/p>\n

Frydenberg added that the company needs to consider the 1000 workers directly or indirectly employed at the plant. “What has been underlined to those companies is the importance of looking after the workers first and foremost,” he said.<\/p>\n

Frydenberg took the opportunity to also meet French environment minister Segolene Royal to discuss the Marrakech climate conference which starts on 7 November. Australia’s ratification of the Paris Agreement was no doubt raised in these talks.<\/p>\n

\n

Ahead of @COP22<\/a> I caught up my French counterpart @RoyalSegolene<\/a> on the work both nations are doing to reduce emissions pic.twitter.com\/anIWAwpEhG<\/a><\/p>\n

— Josh Frydenberg (@JoshFrydenberg) October 26, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n