ENERGY MINISTER ON POWER TRIP

Electricity workers say a visit by the Energy Minister to Munmorah power station on the Central Coast today was a stunt designed to co-incide with the release of the Garnaut report.

Ian Macdonald was there to open a new carbon capture plant, and his presence sparked a mass walk out.

The experimental plant is designed to capture carbon dioxide from the power station’s exhaust before it escapes into the atmosphere.

The actual plant won’t be operational for another six weeks.

But the much needed positive photo opportunity was nicely timed with the release of the garnaut report.

Mr Macdonald had earlier slipped in the back door dodging a group of angry workers out the front, who walked off the job to protest against the planned privatisation of the power industry.

When it is switched on for real, the plant should capture 3000 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide each year.
The next step will be to find a place to store the greenhouse gas.