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COMMISSION INTERNATIONALE DES GRANDS BARRAGES ------- VINGT-SIXIÈME CONGRÈS DES GRANDS BARRAGES Autriche, juillet 2018 ------- GROWING NEED FOR STORAGE AS AUSTRALIA TRANSITIONS FROM COAL ENERGY TO RENEWABLES Richard HERWEYNEN Principal Consultant - Civil, ENTURA Nick WEST Senior Hydropower Engineer, ENTURA AUSTRALIA 1. INTRODUCTION Climate change is a global problem. On 10 November 2016, Australia ratified the Paris Agreement, committing to achieve a 26 to 28 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions below 2005 levels by 2030 [1]. The energy sector accounts for 79 per cent of Australia’s emissions and therefore will play a key role in Australia’s reduction targets. As a result, Australia’s national electricity market (NEM) is going through a transition as it moves towards low-carbon-emissions generation in response to climate change. This is resulting in new opportunities for existing hydropower generators, leading to potential changes in operating regimes. 2. THE AUSTRALIAN ENERGY MARKET Australia’s electricity system was founded on centralised, carbon-intensive coal-fired generation. Currently, coal-fired generation (both brown and black coal) makes up 78 per cent of electricity generation across Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM). The sector is the single largest contributor to GHG 200