COVID-19 Recovery: Victorian Greens suggests upgrading Portland Aluminium smelter to serve as “reverse battery”

The Victorian Greens, the Victorian state member party of the Australian Greens, has reportedly come up with a green COVID-19 recovery package, which consists of funding to upgrade Portland Aluminium smelter to allow it to act as a “reverse battery” while being powered by wind and solar.

The Victorian Greens has suggested the Victorian government to reprioritise its subsidies of about $200 million for the Portland aluminium smelter and apply the funding to upgrade the smelter to be used as a “reverse battery”.

This upgrade, according to the Victorian Greens, will allow Portland Smelter to use energy for aluminium production when there is a dearth of wind and solar energy supply. This is also believed to allow the smelter to strategically reduce its energy use when the energy supply-demand balance is tight and prices are high.

Additionally, this will take the smelter a way forward to be able to operate on zero-emissions power supplies, helping the plant to significantly minimise its emissions at a time when owner Alcoa is looking for ways to reduce its global carbon footprint.

Acting leader of the state member party Victorian Greens, Ellen Sandell, commented: “Taxpayers already give Alcoa $50 million a year in a secret deal arranged by the Andrews Labor Government. Instead of giving them taxpayer money to use polluting coal power, why not give them a grant to use renewable energy and become a ‘reverse battery’?”

He added: “If we do nothing, Alcoa is likely to close and 1,500 people will lose their jobs. Instead, we could upgrade the smelter so it runs on renewable energy and is also able to cut its energy use during days of peak demand, which brings down bills for every Victorian. This is an innovative idea that saves jobs and saves the climate – what’s not to like?”

The Victorian Greens released a similar plan earlier for a “Green New Deal”, designed for expanding the state’s renewable energy capacity and residential energy efficiency measures through investments. The Victorian Greens estimates that as many as 30,000 new jobs can be created through this plan while protecting existing employees in the aluminium manufacturing sector.

 “The Andrews Labor Government has already set aside $24 billion to revitalise our economy coming out of COVID-19, and it’s critical that this is used to protect both people and the planet,” Sandell added while saying, “Our recovery plan is bold and would see Victoria become a clean energy super-power in the midst of a climate crisis.”

“Instead of continuing to provide a lifeline to big coal companies or billionaires, let’s invest in creating jobs, building big renewable energy projects and creating a better future that’s safe from the worst impacts of climate change,” commented Sandell.