This is a list of active power stations in South Australia, Australia. Candidates for this list must already be commissioned and capable of generating 1 MW or more of electricity.
This is a list of active power stations in South Australia, Australia. Candidates for this list must already be commissioned and capable of generating 1 MW or more of electricity.
Since 2016, there has been no coal-fired power generation in South Australia. The following fossil fuel power stations previously burned coal to power steam turbines that generate some or all of the electricity they produce.
Playford A ceased generating in 1985. Playford B ceased operation permanently in October 2015, having been out of operation since 2012. [1] Northern ceased operation permanently in May 2016. [2]
These gas turbine power stations use gas combustion to generate some or all of the electricity they produce.
| Power station | Owner/Operator | Capacity (MW) | Turbines | Fuel type | Combined cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coopers Brewer (Regency Park) | AGL Energy | 4.4 | 1 | natural gas | yes |
| Dry Creek | Synergen Power | 156 | 3 | natural gas | no |
| Hallett | Energy Australia | 180 | 12 | natural gas/diesel | yes [3] |
| Ladbroke Grove | Origin Energy | 80 | 2 | natural gas | no |
| Mintaro | Synergen Power | 90 | 1 | natural gas | no |
| Osborne | Osborne Cogeneration | 180 | 2 | natural gas | yes |
| Port Lincoln | Synergen Power | 73.5 | 3 [3] | diesel | no |
| Quarantine | Origin Energy | 224 | 5 | natural gas | no |
| Pelican Point | Engie | 478 | 3 | natural gas | yes |
| Snapper Point | Nexif | 154 | 5 [4] | natural gas | no |
| Snuggery | Synergen Power | 63 | 3 | diesel | no |
| Whyalla Steelworks | Liberty OneSteel | 8.4 | 2 | natural gas | no |
| Temporary Generation South [3] (Adelaide Desalination Plant) | SA Government | 123 | 4 | diesel | no |
Two "temporary generation" facilities were introduced by the South Australian government before the 2017-18 summer season using General Electric gas turbine generators. They were intended to be used only in extreme circumstances to support the grid following two widespread blackouts in 2016. They were installed at the sites of the former Holden factory in Elizabeth South and the Adelaide Desalination Plant at Lonsdale. [5] In 2022, the former Temporary Generation North turbines were successfully recommissioned at a new location as the Snapper Point Power Station at Outer Harbor. [4]
These power stations use gas combustion to power steam turbines that generate some or all of the electricity they produce.
| Power station | Owner/Operator | Capacity (MW) | Turbines | Fuel type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torrens Island | AGL Energy | 1,280 | 8 | natural gas |
| Whyalla Steelworks | Liberty OneSteel | 57.5 | 3 | Coke Ovens and Blast Furnace Gas/Oil |
These power stations use reciprocating engines to generate some or all of the electricity they produce.
| Power station | Owner/Operator | Capacity (MW) | Engines | Fuel type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angaston | Snowy Hydro | 50 | 30 | diesel |
| Barker Inlet | AGL | 210 | 12 | Natural gas and diesel |
| Lonsdale | Snowy Hydro | 21 | 18 | diesel |
| Port Stanvac | Snowy Hydro | 58 | 36 | diesel |
| Kangaroo Island power station [6] | SA Power Networks | 6 | 3 | diesel |
| Blue Lake Milling Power Plant [3] | Vibe Energy | 1 | 1 | diesel |
| Tatiara Meats Bordertown | Vibe Energy | 1 | 1 | diesel |
| Pedler Creek Landfill | 3 | 3 | Landfill gas | |
| Wingfield landfill | Energy Developments | 8 | 8 | Landfill gas |
| Bolivar waste water treatment plant | SA Water | 9.9 | 4 | sewerage gas [3] |
These hydroelectric power stations use the flow of water to generate some or all of the electricity they produce.
| Power station | Owner/Operator | Capacity (MW) | Turbines | Pumped storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal Storage Mini Hydro | Hydro Tasmania/SA Water | 3 | 1 | no |
| Power Station | Owner/Operator | Capacity (MW) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canunda Wind Farm | Engie/Mitsui | 46 | |
| Cathedral Rocks Wind Farm | EnergyAustralia/Acciona | 66 | |
| Clements Gap Wind Farm | Pacific Hydro | 58 | |
| Hallett Wind Farm - Hallett 1 - Brown Hill | AGL Energy | 94.5 | |
| Hallett Wind Farm - Hallett 2 - Hallett Hill | AGL Energy | 71.4 | |
| Hallett Wind Farm - Hallett 4 - North Brown Hill | AGL Energy | 132 | |
| Hallett Wind Farm - Hallett 5 - The Bluff | AGL Energy | 52.5 | |
| Hornsdale Wind Farm | Neoen and Megawatt Capital | 315 | |
| Lake Bonney Wind Farm - Stage 1 | Infigen | 80.5 | |
| Lake Bonney Wind Farm - Stage 2 | Infigen | 159 | |
| Lake Bonney Wind Farm - Stage 3 | Infigen | 39 | |
| Mount Millar Wind Farm | Meridian Energy | 70 | |
| Snowtown Wind Farm | Trustpower | 368.7 | Stage I & II |
| Starfish Hill Wind Farm | RATCH Australia | 34.5 | |
| Waterloo Wind Farm | EnergyAustralia | 111 | |
| Wattle Point Wind Farm | Infrastructure Capital | 90.75 | |
| Lincoln Gap Wind Farm | Lincoln Gap Wind Farm | 212 | Stage 1 (126 MW) Complete. |
| Willogoleche Wind Farm | Engie | 119 |
| Project name | Coordinates | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Status | Sponsoring company | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bungala Solar Power Farm | 32°25′S137°50′E / 32.42°S 137.84°E | 220 | PV | Operating | Enel Green Power | |
| Tailem Bend Solar Power Farm | 35°17′S139°29′E / 35.28°S 139.49°E | 108 | PV | Operating | Vena Energy | Limited to 95MW to provide reactive power to the grid. Vena Energy are also planning a second stage of up to 100 MW (AC). [7] |
| Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park | 110 | PV | Under construction [8] | Iberdrola | Hybrid facility, 207MW Wind, 110MW Solar. [8] | |
| Aurora Solar Thermal Power Project | 32°12′S137°36′E / 32.2°S 137.6°E | 150 | CSP | Cancelled | SolarReserve | Cancelled in 2019. |
| Cultana Solar Farm | 32°54′S137°36′E / 32.900°S 137.600°E | 280 | Single axis tracking PV | Cancelled | SIMEC Energy Australia | [9] [10] |
| Bungama Solar | 33°11′S138°05′E / 33.19°S 138.09°E | 280 | PV | Development approved [11] | EPS Energy | EPS Energy are also planning on pairing it with a 140MW/560MWh Battery Energy Storage System. [12] [13] |
| Bridle Track Solar Project | 300 | PV | Announced | Rise Renewables | [14] | |
| Pallamana Solar Farm | 176 | PV | Development approval [15] | RES Australia | RES Australia are also planning on pairing it with a Battery Storage facility. [16] | |
| Snowtown North Solar Farm | 45 | PV | Announced | Tilt Renewables | Tilt Renewables notes it has "potential battery storage of up to 25 MW" [17] | |
| Solar River Project Stage 1 | 200 | PV | Announced | The Solar River Project | [18] | |
| Solar River Project Stage 2 | 200 | PV | Announced | The Solar River Project | [18] | |
| Sundrop Farms | 32°32′51.4″S137°50′48.1″E / 32.547611°S 137.846694°E | 39 | CSP | Operational | Sundrop Farms | |
| Whyalla Solar Project | 160 | PV | Announced | Adani Australia | [19] | |
| Chaff Mill Solar Farm | 33°53′S138°46′E / 33.89°S 138.76°E | 100 | PV | Announced | Fotowatio Renewable Ventures | [20] |
| Power station | Owner/Operator | Capacity (MW) | Storage (MWh) | Units | Energised | Fuel type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornsdale Power Reserve | Neoen | 100 (150 after upgrade) [21] | 129 (193.5 after upgrade) [21] | 197 | 2017 [22] | Wind and battery |
| Lake Bonney Wind Farm | Infigen Energy | 25 [23] | 52 [23] | 2019 [23] | Wind and battery | |
| Dalrymple ESCRI battery | ElectraNet/AGL Energy | 30 | 8 | 2019 [24] | Wattle Point Wind Farm |
Torrens Island Power Station is located on Torrens Island, near Adelaide, South Australia and is operated by AGL Energy. It burns natural gas in eight steam turbines to generate up to 1,280 MW of electricity. The gas is supplied via the SEAGas pipeline from Victoria, and the Moomba Adelaide Pipeline System (MAPS) from Moomba in the Cooper Basin. The station is capable of burning either natural gas or fuel oil. It is the largest power station in South Australia and was formerly the largest single power station user of natural gas in Australia.
Northern Power Station was located at Port Paterson in the Australian state of South Australia about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) south of the city centre of Port Augusta. It was coal powered with two 260 MW steam turbines that generated a total of 520 MW of electricity. It was operated and maintained by Alinta Energy and was commissioned in 1985. Northern received coal by rail from the Leigh Creek Coal Mine, 280 km to the north. The plant ceased electricity production in May 2016 and decommissioned and demolished over the following few years.
Playford B Power Station was located at Port Paterson in the Australian state of South Australia about 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) south of the city centre of Port Augusta. It was coal powered with four 60 MW steam turbines that generated a total of 240 MW of electricity. Playford B received coal by rail from the Leigh Creek Coal Mine, 280 km to the north and drew cooling water from Spencer Gulf, returning it to the sea at an elevated temperature. Commissioned in 1963, it was co-located with the older Playford A Power Station and the larger, newer Northern Power Station. Playford B was mothballed in 2012 and its permanent closure was announced by operator Alinta Energy in October 2015. Prior to being mothballed, it primarily operated in the summer, when electricity demand peaks.
Alinta wind farm is a wind power station at Walkaway, just south of Geraldton, Western Australia. It is owned by Infigen Energy and has offtake agreements with Alinta Energy and AGL Energy.
AGL Energy Ltd is an Australian listed public company involved in both the generation and retailing of electricity and gas for residential and commercial use. AGL is Australia's largest electricity generator, and the nation's largest carbon emitter. In 2014, the company had an operated generation capacity of 10,984 MW. The company emitted 42,227,180 Total Scope 1 Emissions in 2019-20 and 40,209,034 t CO2-e in 2020–21. AGL is also a significant investor, owner, and operator, of renewable energy assets.
Solar power is a fast-growing industry in Australia. As of June 2023, Australia's over 3.52 million solar PV installations had a combined capacity of 32,095 MW photovoltaic (PV) solar power, of which at least 4,389 MW were installed in the preceding 12 months. In 2019, 59 solar PV projects with a combined capacity of 2,881 MW were either under construction, constructed or due to start construction having reached financial closure. Solar accounted for 12.4% of Australia's total electrical energy production in 2021.
Wind power became a significant energy source within South Australia over the first two decades of the 21st century. In 2015, there was an installed capacity of 1,475 MW, which accounted for 34% of electricity production in the state. This accounted for 35% of Australia's installed wind power capacity. In 2021, there was an installed capacity of 2052.95 MW, which accounted for 42.1% of the electricity production in the state in 2020.
Lake Bonney Wind Farm is a wind farm near Millicent, South Australia, Australia. The wind farm is south of, and contiguous with, Canunda Wind Farm. Both are built along the Woakwine Range - a line of stabilised sand dunes that once were coastal.
South Australia is a leader in utility-scale renewable energy generation, and also produces gas and uranium for electricity generation. Gas production is mostly concentrated in the Cooper Basin in the state's north-east. Gas is delivered from these fields by pipeline to users interstate and to Port Adelaide where it fuels three separate gas-fired power plants. Uranium is also mined in South Australia, though nuclear power generation is prohibited nationally. The Olympic Dam mine is the world's single largest known deposit of uranium and represents 30% of the world's total uranium resource. Many utility-scale wind farms and solar farms have been commissioned during the 21st century and geology with potential for geothermal energy has also been identified but is yet to be developed.
Alinta Energy is an Australian electricity generating and gas retailing private company owned by Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook Enterprises (CTFE). The sale for $4 billion was approved by Treasurer Scott Morrison in 2017. Alinta Energy has an owned and contracted generation portfolio of up to 1,957 MW, approximately 1.1 million combined electricity and gas retail customers and around 800 employees across Australia and New Zealand.
The Australian electricity sector has been historically dominated by coal-fired power stations, but renewables are forming a rapidly growing fraction of supply.
The Hornsdale Wind Farm is an electricity generator in the locality of Hornsdale in the south-west of the Narien Range, north of Jamestown, South Australia. It consists of 99 wind turbines with a generation capacity of 315 megawatts (422,000 hp). The plant is owned and operated by Neoen, a French renewable energy company.
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.
Hornsdale Power Reserve is a 150 MW grid-connected energy storage system owned by Neoen co-located with the Hornsdale Wind Farm in the Mid North region of South Australia, also owned by Neoen.
The Lincoln Gap Wind Farm is a wind farm in the vicinity of Lincoln Gap on northeastern Eyre Peninsula in South Australia, Australia. It consists of 59 wind turbines and generates a total of 212 MW of electricity. Construction began in late 2017 and was initially expected to be commissioned in late 2018. Construction was delayed in July 2018 when unexploded ordnance was discovered on the site, left from historic military testing. The site is not far from the Cultana Training Area.
Solar River Project is a proposed photovoltaic power station planned to be built near Robertstown in South Australia. The project received development approval from the Government of South Australia in June 2018 and was expected to start construction early in 2019. However, as of November 2021, the project was still proposed to be constructed, but work on site was not expected until at least the second half of 2022.