Gas turbine power stations use gas combustion to generate some or all of the electricity they produce. Thermal gas power stations use gas combustion to power steam turbines that generate some or all of the electricity they produce. Reciprocating gas power stations use gas combustion in reciprocating engines to generate some or all of the electricity they produce.
| Power station | Operator | Max. capacity | Turbines | Fuel type | Combined cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colongra | Snowy Hydro | 667 MW | 4 | natural gas | no |
| Liddell | AGL Energy | 50 MW | 2 | fuel oil | no |
| Smithfield | Visy [1] | 171 MW | 4 | natural gas | yes |
| Tallawarra | EnergyAustralia | 435 MW | 2 | natural gas | yes |
| Uranquinty | Origin Energy | 641 MW | 4 | natural gas | no |
| Power station | Max. capacity | Engines | Fuel type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appin Mine | 55.6 MW | 54 | coalbed methane+natural gas |
| Belrose | 4 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
| Earthpower [2] Camellia | 3.9 MW | 3 | biogas |
| Jacks Gully | 2.3 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
| Kincumber Landfill Gas Abatement [3] | 1 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
| Lucas Heights I | 5.4 MW | 5 | landfill gas |
| Lucas Heights II | 17.3 MW | 15 | landfill gas |
| Shoalhaven Landfill Gas Project | 1 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
| Sydney Water, Malabar | 3 MW | 3 | sewage gas |
| Tahmoor [4] | 7 MW | 7 | coalbed methane |
| Teralba | 8 MW | 8 | coalbed methane |
| Tower Mine | 41.2 MW | 40 | coalbed methane+natural gas |
| Wilga | 11 MW | 11 | natural gas |
| Woodlawn | 4 MW | 4 | landfill gas |
| Woy Woy Landfill Gas Abatement [3] | 1 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
State total (MW): 2129.7
| Power station | Max. capacity | Turbines | Fuel type | Cycle | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barcaldine | 55 MW | 2 | natural gas | Combined | |
| Braemar | 952 MW | 6 | coal seam gas | Open | |
| Bulwer Island, BP | 32 MW | 3 | coal seam gas | Combined | |
| Condamine | 144 MW | 3 | coal seam gas | Combined | |
| Darling Downs | 630 MW | 4 | coal seam gas | Combined | |
| Diamantina | 242 MW | 2 | coal seam gas | Combined | |
| Leichhardt | 60 MW | 1 | coal seam gas | Open | |
| Mackay Gas Turbine | 34 MW | 1 | oil | Open | |
| Mica Creek | 318 MW | 12 | natural gas | Combined | |
| Mount Stuart | 414 MW | 3 | kerosene | Open | |
| Oakey | 282 MW | 2 | natural gas | Open | |
| Phosphate Hill | 42 MW | 9 | natural gas | Combined | |
| Roma | 80 MW | 2 | natural gas | Open | |
| Swanbank E | 385 MW | 1 | natural gas/coal seam gas | Combined | [5] |
| Tarong Gas Turbine | 15 MW | 1 | diesel | Open | |
| Townsville | 242 MW | 2 | coal seam gas | Combined |
| Power station | Max. capacity | Engines | Fuel type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browns Plains | 2.18 MW | 2 | landfill gas |
| Cannington, BHP [6] | 40.06 MW | 22 | natural gas / diesel |
| Condamine | 3 MW | 1 | coal seam gas |
| Coominya, AFC Abattoirs | 1.73 MW | 3 | natural gas |
| Daandine | 33 MW | 11 | coal seam gas |
| Luggage Point, Myrtletown | 3 MW | 2 | sewage gas |
| Middlemount [7] | 45 MW | 20 | coal seam gas |
| Molendinar | 0.7 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
| Moranbah [8] | 45 MW | 15 | coal seam gas |
| Mount Isa XPS41 | 47.5 MW | 19 | natural gas |
| Rochedale | 3.3 MW | 3 | landfill gas |
| Roghan Road | 1.95 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
| Stapylton | 1 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
| Suntown, Arundel | 1 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
| Swanbank B | 7 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
| Whitwood Road | 1.1 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
State total (MW): 3713.52
| Power station | Owner/operator | Max. capacity | Turbines | Fuel type | Combined cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coopers Brewer (Regency Park) | AGL Energy | 4.4 MW | 1 | natural gas | yes |
| Dry Creek | Synergen Power | 156 MW | 3 | natural gas | no |
| Hallett | Energy Australia | 180 MW | 12 | natural gas/diesel | yes [9] |
| Ladbroke Grove | Origin Energy | 80 MW | 2 | natural gas | no |
| Mintaro | Synergen Power | 90 MW | 1 | natural gas | no |
| Osborne | Osborne Cogeneration | 180 MW | 2 | natural gas | yes |
| Pelican Point | Engie | 478 MW | 3 | natural gas | yes |
| Port Lincoln | Synergen Power | 73.5 MW | 3 [9] | diesel | no |
| Quarantine | Origin Energy | 224 MW | 5 | natural gas | no |
| Snuggery | Synergen Power | 63 MW | 3 | diesel | no |
| Temporary Generation North [9] (former Holden site) | SA Government | 154 MW | 5 | diesel | no |
| Temporary Generation South [9] (Adelaide Desalination Plant) | SA Government | 123 MW | 4 | diesel | no |
| Whyalla Steelworks | Arrium | 8.4 MW | 2 | natural gas | no |
The two "temporary generation" facilities were introduced by the South Australian government before the 2017-18 summer season using General Electric gas turbine generators. They are intended to be used only in extreme circumstances to support the grid following two widespread blackouts in 2016. They are installed at the sites of the former Holden factory in Elizabeth South and the Adelaide Desalination Plant at Lonsdale. [10]
| Power station | Owner/operator | Max. capacity | Turbines | Fuel type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torrens Island | AGL Energy | 1,280 MW | 8 | natural gas |
| Whyalla Steelworks | Arrium | 57.5 MW | 3 | coke ovens and blast furnace gas/oil |
| Power station | Owner/operator | Max. capacity | Engines | Fuel type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angaston | Snowy Hydro | 50 MW | 30 | diesel |
| Barker Inlet Power Station | AGL Energy | 210 MW | 12 | natural gas |
| Blue Lake Milling Power Plant [9] | Vibe Energy | 1 MW | 1 | diesel |
| Bolivar Waste Water Treatment Plant | SA Water | 9.9 MW | 4 | sewerage gas [9] |
| Kangaroo Island power station [11] | SA Power Networks | 6 MW | 3 | diesel |
| Lonsdale | Snowy Hydro | 21 MW | 18 | diesel |
| Pedler Creek Landfill | 3 MW | 3 | landfill gas | |
| Port Stanvac | Snowy Hydro | 58 MW | 36 | diesel |
| Tatiara Meats Bordertown | Vibe Energy | 1 MW | 1 | diesel |
| Wingfield Landfill | Energy Developments | 8 MW | 8 | landfill gas |
State total (MW): 3519.7
| Power station | Coordinates | Max. capacity | Turbines | Fuel type | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MW | hp | |||||
| Bell Bay | 41°8′31″S146°54′9″E / 41.14194°S 146.90250°E | 240 | 321,845 | 2 | Natural gas | |
| Power station | Coordinates | Max. capacity | Turbines | Fuel type | Combined cycle | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MW | hp | ||||||
| Bell Bay | 41°8′31″S146°54′9″E / 41.14194°S 146.90250°E | 135 | 181,038 | 3 | Natural gas | No | |
| Tamar Valley | 210 | 281,615 | 5 | Natural gas | Yes | ||
Note that the above three power stations are in fact the same power station listed upon commissioning after conversion to gas and recommissioning after a turbine upgrade. It has been decommissioned since 2009.
| Power station | Coordinates | Max. capacity | Engines | Fuel type | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MW | hp | |||||
| Jackson Street, Glenorchy | 1.6 | 2,146 | 1 | landfill gas | ||
| Launceston General Hospital, Launceston | 2 | 2,682 | 1 | natural gas | ||
| McRobies Gully, South Hobart | 1 | 1,341 | 1 | landfill gas | ||
State total (MW): 589.6
| Power station | Max. capacity | Turbines | Fuel type | Combined cycle | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bairnsdale | 92 MW | 2 | natural gas | no | |
| Jeeralang | 432 MW | 7 | natural gas | no | |
| Laverton North | 320 MW | 2 | natural gas | no | |
| Longford | 31.8 MW | 6 | natural gas | no | |
| Mortlake | 550 MW | 2 | natural gas | no | |
| Somerton | 160 MW | 4 | natural gas | no | |
| Valley Power | 300 MW | 12 | natural gas | no |
| Power station | Max. capacity | Turbines | Fuel type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newport | 500 MW | 1 | natural gas |
| Power station | Max. capacity | Engines | Fuel type | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boral Western Landfill, Ravenhall | 4.6 MW | 4 | landfill gas | |
| Broadmeadows | 6.2 MW | 6 | landfill gas | |
| Brooklyn Landfill and Waste Recycling Facility | 2.83 MW | 3 | landfill gas | |
| Clayton | 11 MW | 11 | landfill gas | |
| Corio (EDL) | 1 MW | 1 | landfill gas | |
| Mornington Waste Disposal Facility | 1 MW | 1 | landfill gas | |
| Morwell (Tramway Road) (HRL) | 5 MW | 1 | diesel | |
| Narre Warren | 7.2 MW | 5 | landfill gas | |
| Springvale | 4.2 MW | 4 | landfill gas | |
| Sunshine Energy Park | 8.7 MW | 1 | landfill gas | |
| Werribee (AGL Energy) | 7.8 MW | 7 | sewage gas | |
| Wyndham Waste Disposal Facility | 1 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
State total (MW): 6946.33
| Power station | Max. capacity | Turbines | Fuel type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capel (Iluka Resources) | 6.5 MW | 1 | waste gas |
| Kwinana Alumina Refinery, Alcoa | 74.5 MW | 7 | natural gas |
| Pinjarra Alumina Refinery, Alcoa | 95 MW | 4 | natural gas |
| Telfer Gold Mine, Newcrest | 135 MW | 3 | natural gas |
| Wagerup Alumina Refinery, Alcoa | 98 MW | 4 | natural gas |
| Power station | Max. capacity | Engines | Fuel type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas (Mirrabooka) | 1.1 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
| Canning Vale | 4 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
| Carnarvon | 15.27 MW | 3 | natural gas |
| Dongara | 1.6 MW | 3 | natural gas |
| Henderson (Wattleup) | 2.13 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
| Jundee (Northern Star Ltd) | 13.2 MW | 6 | natural gas |
| Kalamunda | 1.9 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
| Kelvin Road, Gosnells | 2 MW | 2 | landfill gas |
| Leonora | 3.2 MW | 5 | natural gas |
| Millar Road, Rockingham | 1.6 MW | 2 | landfill gas |
| Mount Magnet | 1.9 MW | 1 | natural gas |
| Plutonic (Billabong Gold) | 16 MW | 4 | natural gas |
| Red Hill | 3.65 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
| South Cardup | 3.3 MW | 3 | landfill gas |
| Tamala Park | 4.65 MW | 1 | landfill gas |
| Wiluna (Blackham Resources) | 9 MW (mothballed, 4 sets operational) | 3 | natural gas |
| Windimurra | 13 MW | 4 | natural gas |
| Wodgina Tantalum Mine | 8.82 MW | 10 | natural gas |
| Woodman Point | 1.8 MW | 3 | sewage gas |
State total (MW): 4541.02
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric power from sources of primary energy. For utilities in the electric power industry, it is the stage prior to its delivery to end users or its storage, using for example, the pumped-storage method.
A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid.
Cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP) is the use of a heat engine or power station to generate electricity and useful heat at the same time.
A fossil fuel power station is a thermal power station which burns a fossil fuel, such as coal, oil, or natural gas, to produce electricity. Fossil fuel power stations have machinery to convert the heat energy of combustion into mechanical energy, which then operates an electrical generator. The prime mover may be a steam turbine, a gas turbine or, in small plants, a reciprocating gas engine. All plants use the energy extracted from the expansion of a hot gas, either steam or combustion gases. Although different energy conversion methods exist, all thermal power station conversion methods have their efficiency limited by the Carnot efficiency and therefore produce waste heat.
An integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) is a technology using a high pressure gasifier to turn coal and other carbon based fuels into pressurized gas—synthesis gas (syngas). It can then remove impurities from the syngas prior to the electricity generation cycle. Some of these pollutants, such as sulfur, can be turned into re-usable byproducts through the Claus process. This results in lower emissions of sulfur dioxide, particulates, mercury, and in some cases carbon dioxide. With additional process equipment, a water-gas shift reaction can increase gasification efficiency and reduce carbon monoxide emissions by converting it to carbon dioxide. The resulting carbon dioxide from the shift reaction can be separated, compressed, and stored through sequestration. Excess heat from the primary combustion and syngas fired generation is then passed to a steam cycle, similar to a combined cycle gas turbine. This process results in improved thermodynamic efficiency, compared to conventional pulverized coal combustion.
The Huntly Power Station is the largest thermal power station in New Zealand and is located in the town of Huntly in the Waikato. It is operated by Genesis Energy Limited, a publicly listed company. The station has five operational generating units – three 250 MW coal-and-gas-fired steam turbine units, a 50 MW gas peaking plant, and a 403 MW combined cycle gas turbine plant. The station also plays an important role in voltage support for the Northland, Auckland and Waikato regions.
A gas-fired power plant, sometimes referred to as gas-fired power station, natural gas power plant, or methane gas power plant, is a thermal power station that burns natural gas to generate electricity. Gas-fired power plants generate almost a quarter of world electricity and are significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions. However, they can provide seasonal, dispatchable energy generation to compensate for variable renewable energy deficits, where hydropower or interconnectors are not available. In the early 2020s batteries became competitive with gas peaker plants.
The Newport Power Station was a complex of power stations located on the west bank of the Yarra River, approximately 6 km south-west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in the suburb of Newport. Newport A, B, and C were coal-fired plants which operated at the site between 1919 and the 1980s, and were claimed to be the largest power station in the southern hemisphere in 1953 with 42 boilers and 14 turbo-alternators producing 327 megawatts (439,000 hp).
The Littlebrook Power Station were a series of four oil and coal-fired power stations situated on the south bank of the River Thames, next to the Queen Elizabeth 2 Bridge and the Dartford Tunnel in Dartford, Kent. The final power station, Littlebrook D, ceased operating in March 2015, and has now been demolished.
Kilroot power station is a fossil fuel power plant on the north shore of Belfast Lough at Kilroot near Carrickfergus in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The plant currently has a 141 megawatt (MW) capacity from four standby gas turbines and a 10 MW battery energy storage capacity from the Kilroot Advancion Energy Storage Array.
Little Barford Power Station is a gas-fired power station just north of the village of Little Barford in Bedfordshire, England. It lies just south of the A428 St Neots bypass and east of the Wyboston Leisure Park. The River Great Ouse runs alongside. It was formerly the site of two coal-fired power stations, now demolished. The station is operated by RWE.
Great Yarmouth Power Station is combined cycle gas turbine power station on South Denes Road in Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England, with a maximum output of 420 MW electricity, opened in 2001. It is built on the site of an oil-fired power station, built in 1958 and closed and demolished in the 1990s. A coal-fired power station was built in Great Yarmouth in 1894 and operated until 1961. The station is operated by RWE.
Reeves Plains Power Station is a proposal from Alinta Energy to build a gas-fired power station at Reeves Plains between Gawler and Mallala in South Australia. The proposed site borders both the Moomba-Adelaide gas pipe and an electricity transmission line. The power station is proposed to use six gas turbines to produce up to 300 megawatts (400,000 hp) of electricity. It is expected to be operated as a peaking plant rather than running full time. The primary source of fuel will be the gas pipeline, however the plant will also be able to operate on diesel fuel, and will have diesel storage on site. Stage 1 is expected to only be two or three of the turbines, generating 100 to 150 MW of electricity. The power station was originally expected to take 12 months to build, and be commissioned in January 2019. An extension of time request granted an additional 12 months in February 2019, but as of November 2019, the Alinta board had not yet decided to make the investment.
