A Year 12 student from Hawkesdale P12 College produced this slideshow as school assessed coursework for Unit 3 VCE Environmental Science.

1. Unit 3: Energy and Greenhouse Gases
SAC 1B: A comparison of a fossil fuel
and a non-fossil energy source
By Georgia

3. • The greenhouse effect is a natural process that warms
the Earth’s surface. When the Sun’s energy reaches the
Earth’s atmosphere, some of it is reflected back to space
and the rest is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse
gases.
• Greenhouse gases include water vapour, carbon
dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and some artificial
chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
• The absorbed energy warms the atmosphere and the
surface of the Earth. This process maintains the Earth’s
temperature at an average temperate of 15°C, around
30°C warmer than it would otherwise be, allowing life on
Earth to exist.

4. • The enhanced greenhouse effect is caused by human
activities and is causing climate change.
• Human activities particularly burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and
natural gas), agriculture and land clearing, are increasing the
concentrations of greenhouse gases.
• This is trapping extra heat and causing the Earth’s
temperature to rise as the increasing greenhouse gases
absorb the gases which then re-emit energy including heat.

6. • Natural gas is a non-renewable energy source that took
millions of years to form in the Earth’s crust meaning that
it is a fossil fuel.
• It is a colourless, odourless mixture of hydrocarbon
gases, mostly methane.
• Australia has about 1% of the world’s reserves of natural
gas.

7. • Wind energy is a renewable energy source which uses
the airflow to generate electricity. It is a non-fossil fuel.
• It makes up about 3% of Australia’s National Electricity
Market and is predicted to increase in the coming years.
• If we efficiently harnessed all wind energy and used it to
generate electricity, it could
produce 10 times more energy
than humanity uses each year.
Australia

8. • The Mortlake Gas Plant is located 12km west of Mortlake
and is open cycle.
• The project began in 2008 however operation started in
2012.
• Operating at full capacity the power station generates
550 MW of power.
• It is a peak load power plant which means it generates
electricity at times of high demand.

9. • The Macarthur Wind Farm is located 16km east of
Macarthur.
• It is a 420 MW wind farm and is currently the largest of its
kind in the Southern Hemisphere.
• It has been fully operational since late January 2013.
• It is jointly owned by AGL Energy Limited (AGL) and
Malakoff Corporation Berhad.

10. • A gas power station turn the chemical energy in natural gas
into electricity.
• Air and gas are mixed together and are combusted within the
turbine
• This force causes the rotor of the turbine to turn.
• As the turbine turns, a generator rotates and produces
electricity.
Natural Gas

11. • Wind (Kinetic energy) is converted to electricity
• The wind turns the blades, which spins a shaft connected to
the generator and produces electricity.
Wind Energy

12. Wind Power
• Wind doesn’t need to be
extracted as it is a naturally
occurring resource which is
found onsite.
Natural Gas
• Gas is extracted by drilling
wells into the
ground, through the
geographic layers, to
reach the gas deposits.
• After the natural gas is
extracted it’s treated at
gas plants to remove
impurities. Pipelines then
transport the natural gas
from the gas plants to
power plants.

13. Wind Power
• Used for electricity in
homes
• The wind farm says it will
produce enough electricity
to power about 220,000
average homes in Victoria
each year.
• The use of wind to
produce electricity is
approximately 40%
energy efficient.
• It provides 3% of
Australia’s electricity
Natural Gas
• Used for electricity in
homes
• Natural gas is used in
homes for heating and
cooking.
• It is used by industry for
heating and
manufacturing.
• Natural gas has an overall
energy efficiency of
approximately 30% for
electricity production and
90% for heating.

14. Macarthur Wind Farm
• Wind doesn’t need to be
transported as it is found
onsite.
• This means that energy is
being saved in this process as
the wind doesn’t have to be
transported from one place to
another unlike natural gas
however materials during
construction have to be
transported. Blades and
turbines came from Denmark.
• Once the electricity is
generated it is transported
through the High Voltage lines
and from there goes into
peoples’ homes. Power is lost
in transmission reducing the
Mortlake Gas Plant
• The power station’s natural gas
supply is supplied via an 83km
underground natural gas
transmission pipeline from the
Otway gas Plant near Port
Campbell.
• This means that energy is
wasted transporting the natural
gas.
• Materials had to be transported
when constructing the gas
plant.
• The electricity generated from
the natural gas goes into the
High Voltage lines where it then
goes into homes. During this
process power is lost.

15. Macarthur Wind Farm
• Dual use: farmers are
paid by AGL per turbine
but can also still have
sheep/cattle in the same
paddocks.
• The Macarthur wind farm
takes up 5500 hectares of
land.
• The wind turbines are
placed on farmers
properties.
Mortlake Gas Plant
• The Mortlake gas plant is
a sole user meaning the
land is only used for
• Origin Energy own 100
hectares however the
plant itself only takes up
20 hectares and the rest
is used as a buffer zone.

16. Macarthur Wind Farm
• It only operates when
there is wind which means
that it is unreliable as not
every day is windy and
they are unable to know
when the turbines will be
operating and when they
aren’t.
• They also are unable to
operate when the winds
are too strong and are
turned off.
Mortlake Gas Plant
• It can turn off and on
whenever it is needed.
• It only takes 6 minutes
from the moment it is
turned on for the plant to
start generating electricity

17. Macarthur Wind Farm
A wind farm has to be:
• In a windy location
• Somewhere with lots of
empty space eg. Farming
land
• Road may have to be
created so that they are
able to construct the wind
farm and materials can be
transported.
• Close to HV Power lines
Mortlake Gas Plant
A gas plant has to be:
• Close to HV Power Lines
as it how the electricity
generated is transported
from the plant into
peoples’ homes.
• Close to gas refinery (the
gas plant is 83km)
• Away from townships and
houses.

18. Macarthur Wind Farm
• It costed $1 billion to
construct.
• Ongoing costs as farmers
are paid yearly per turbine
• Farmer are paid each
year per turbine. They
then spend this money in
the local community.
• Have a community
assistance fund to support
local
organisations, schools
and the community.
Mortlake Gas Plant
• It costed $810 million to
construct.
• Origin Energy and the 8
employees are the only
ones who benefit from the
Gas plant.
• The community don’t
benefit and Origin have no
community assistance
funds.

19. Macarthur Wind Farm
• The turbine cause a noise which
can annoy, anger some
people, especially those close
to the wind farm.
• Roads are damaged and major
traffic during the construction of
the wind farm however don’t
have lasting impact.
• Some people believe that the
wind farms cause them to be
sick.
• More than 400 construction jobs
with over 250 local people and
businesses employed directly
• Employ 20 staff onsite
Mortlake Gas Plant
• Affects air quality for nearby
residents.
• The emissions released affect
society as they add the
enhanced greenhouse effect
meaning people have to adapt
to more extreme weather
conditions.
• Major traffic during construction
and speed limits had to be
reduced.
• Employ 8 full-time staff. There
were more staff employed
during the construction of the
gas plant.

20. Macarthur Wind Farm
• Causes a disturbance on-
site to flora and
fauna, especially during
construction. Birds are killed
by blades at night time.
• Construction involves
emissions being released.
• The wind farm takes up
more space meaning more
land is affected and used.
• Bought a property where
they replant native
vegetation to replace what
was destroyed during the
construction stage.
Mortlake Gas Plant
• Has an impact on wildlife
• These is a disturbance
along the pipeline to the
land, flora and fauna.
• Greenhouse gas
emissions released
throughout operation
adding to the enhanced
greenhouse effect and
climate change.

21. Macarthur Wind Farm
• Greenhouse gas emissions
were released during the
construction of the wind farm
by machinery and transport.
• However all of these
emissions were paid back in
an estimated 6 months once
the wind farm starts
operation.
• It saves approximately 1.5
million tonnes of greenhouse
gases per year
Mortlake Gas Plant
• Natural gas is the
cleanest burning fossil
fuel. It produces half as
much carbon dioxide as
the burning of coal does.
• It does however still
release carbon dioxide
when burning the natural
gas and adds the
enhanced greenhouse
effect.

22. • The Kyoto protocol, which was a step towards effective
global action to reduce greenhouse has emission by at
least 5%, however it finished in 2012 and was replaced
by Copenhagen.
• There are 32 countries that have emissions trading
schemes (ETS) in place. China is also trialling trading
schemes and has plans for a national emissions trading
scheme after 2015.
• The Australian Government and the European Union
(EU) aim to link the European and Australian carbon
markets in a move that will help enable effective climate
change action across the world.

23. • In 2012 the Australian Government implemented a emissions trading
scheme referred to as the carbon tax which acts as a disincentive for
businesses releasing greenhouse emissions.
• Subsidies for research and development into alternative energy
sources. This gives organisations more incentives to look into
renewable energy sources.
• The National Greenhouse Strategy (1996) was created. Under this
strategy a number of different programs were launched including the
Greenhouse Challenger Plus which is a co-operative effort between
Australian Industry and the Government to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions through voluntary industry action.

24. • In 2002 the Victorian Greenhouse Strategy outlined a
number of ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in
Victoria including:
-Increasing the use of renewable energy sources
-Exploring opportunities for carbon capture and storage
-Investigating further opportunities for large-scale clean
energy projects and new vehicle technologies
• The state government introduced requirement under state
environment protection policy for business under
Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to take action to
improve their energy efficiency.

25. • The Moyne Shire are part of the Cities for Climate
Protection which commits then to reduce their generation
of greenhouse gas emissions.
• Have recycling and waste product programs including
providing recycling bins from those who live in Moyne
Shire towns. By reducing waste and reusing products the
Moyne Shire is reducing the amount of greenhouse gas
emissions which would be released if these products had
to be produced again.
• Enhance the carbon sink capacity by planting trees in the
Moyne Shire.

26. • https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/news/mortlake-gas-power-
station-officially-opened
• http://www.agl.com.au/
• http://www.essentialenergy.com.au/content/education-natural-gas
• http://www.originenergy.com.au
• http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/natural-
gas.html
• http://ramblingsdc.net/Australia/WindPower.html
• http://www.climatechange.gov.au/greenhouse-effect
• http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/Wind_Into_Energy.php
• Issues of Sustainability –VCE Environment Science Units 3 and 4
Textbook