The Federal Minister for Resources and Energy, the Hon Martin Ferguson MP, will today attend the announcement of two significant investments in Exergen, an Australian company which has developed a process for removing moisture and contaminants from brown coal. The announcement will be made at Exergen’s pilot facility at Beaconsfield in North Eastern Tasmania.
Tata Power (a member of the Indian Tata Group of Companies) and leading engineering services company Sedgman have joined founding shareholder Thiess as cornerstone investors in both Exergen Pty Ltd and its technology.
Minister Ferguson said: “The Federal Government is acutely aware of the emissions profile of brown coal-fired power generation.
"Latrobe Valley brown coal power is a significant contributor to Australia's energy market. We see it as a priority to achieve large emission reductions quickly. The Exergen pilot is a significant step towards cleaner brown coal power."
Exergen's technology, known as Continuous Hydrothermal Dewatering (CHTD), has been kept tightly under wraps during its development and trialling phase but has now been brought into the industry spotlight due to the commitment of three of the world’s largest mining entities.
The Exergen technology has been demonstrated to remove up to 80 per cent of the moisture from brown coal, while also removing other contaminants which contribute to emissions. Teamed with modern power generation plants, Exergen promises emission reductions of approximately 40 per cent and importantly, the moisture removed from the coal could supply up to 40 per cent of the power station cooling water.
“This technology has significant potential for Victoria in particular,” the Minister said. “It could deliver emission reductions by increasing the thermal efficiency of brown coal which has been out of reach until now.
"The Exergen technology also holds the promise of Victoria joining the ranks of Australia’s coal exporting states,” he said. “This would potentially deliver a brand new industry and thousands of jobs to Victoria.”
Minister Ferguson will tour the Exergen pilot plant this morning and meet with the technology development team and the new investors.
"They are to be congratulated for their innovation and vision," he said.
Media contact: Michael Bradley 0420 371 744.
For information on Exergen contact Greg Kukla, General Manager, Exergen on 0418 336 683.