In August this year, AGL Upstream Investments Pty Limited on two occasions briefly exceeded the Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) licence limit at an exhaust stack on a compressor engine within the company’s Rosalind Park Gas Plant at Camden.

These minor breaches have resulted in a $1,500 fine and an official caution to AGL from the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA).

The EPA has stated that the exceedences were small, of short duration and did not cause a significant impact on the environment.

The compressor engine licence concentration limit is 461 mg/m3.  On 4 August 2013, for a period of less than one hour duration, the NOx hourly average concentration was 616 mg/m3 at one of the compressor engines. AGL was able to immediately detect this as part of its continuous monitoring and promptly shut down the compressor engine.

On 13 August 2013, between 5am and 8am, the average hourly NOx emissions on Compressor Engine No. 1 exceeded the concentration limit by 1mg/m3, 5mg/m3 and 10mg/m3 respectively.

On both occasions AGL notified the EPA and the local Community Consultative Committee.

AGL has installed a new continuous emissions monitoring system on one of its engines and continues to conduct monthly independent air monitoring of compressor engine exhaust stacks, in addition to the required continuous monitoring. The monthly results will continue to be published on AGL’s website.

Neither of these breaches is new. Both were made public by AGL at the time they occurred.

About AGL

AGL is one of Australia's leading integrated renewable energy companies and is taking action toward creating a sustainable energy future for our investors, communities and customers. Drawing on over 175 years of experience, AGL operates retail and merchant energy businesses, power generation assets and an upstream gas portfolio. AGL has one of Australia's largest retail energy and dual fuel customer bases. AGL has a diverse power generation portfolio including base, peaking and intermediate generation plants, spread across traditional thermal generation as well as renewable sources including hydro, wind, landfill gas and biomass. AGL is Australia's largest private owner and operator of renewable energy assets and is looking to further expand this position by exploring a suite of low emission and renewable energy generation development opportunities.