QRC CEO takes a potshot at 'Bob the Gilder' Brown's EV convoy

QUEENSLAND Resources Council (QRC) sees a brighter future than ever for resources as the world moves towards a low-carbon economy. In fact, QRC is calling the 200 electric vehicle (EV) convoy of former Greens leader Bob Brown as proof that resources such as coal, bauxite and iron ore are underpinning the switch to electric vehicles.

“As Queensland moves towards a low emission economy demand for resources will grow," QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said.

"Renewable energy and batteries used to store electricity need several mined metals and materials including bauxite, copper and nickel. Each of Bob Brown’s electric vehicles have four times more copper than a conventional car," he said.

“At any given time in Queensland close to 80 percent of the state’s electricity is powered by fossil fuels with the majority sourced from coal. It’s this electricity that is used to charge EVs and people’s smart phones.

“Once again, it’s a case of do as we say, not do as we do for anti-mining activists. But you can’t avoid the facts for long. And the facts are this convoy of cars are not only powered by coal but they are built with coal," Mr Macfarlane said.

“If it wasn’t for coal, this anti-jobs campaign would need to cross the Bass Strait in a wooden boat then walk to the Galilee Basin.

“If these activists truly wanted a coal free future they would have no choice but to end the journey immediately. If they continue, then their anti-jobs, anti-regional growth claims will have a very hollow ring to them.”

Mr Macfarlane called the 200 EV convoy of Bob Brown a case of "Bob the Gilder". He said 200 EVs represented:

• 18 tonnes of copper
• 75 tonnes of aluminium
• 94 tonnes of coking coal to make the steel
• 122 tonnes of steel
• 300 tonnes of bauxite to make the aluminium
• 342 tonnes of thermal coal 

"That’s a small mountain of about 950 tonnes of Queensland resources that is being used to protest against Queensland resources," Mr Macfarlance said.

"If you plug an electric car into the Queensland grid at the stroke of noon today, 17.3 percent of the electrons come from renewable sources like solar and hydro, but 12 percent come from gas and 70.7 percent from coal.

"So 82 kilometres in every 100 km driven are powered by fossil fuels. If the convoy drove only on renewable energy from Hobart to Alpha, they’d get about 455 km along the 2,628 km drive before they went flat.

"Adding an electric car on the grid is the equivalent in some cases to adding three houses. Electric cars often need an entire night to recharge at home and they can increase a house’s power consumption by 50 percent or more."

www.qrc.org.au

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