List of coal-fired power stations in Australia

These fossil fuel power stations burn coal to power steam turbines that generate some or all of the electricity they produce. Australia's fleet of coal-fired power stations are aging and many are due for decommissioning, and are being replaced by a combination of mostly renewable energy. In early 2017, 75% of the coal-fired power stations in the country were operating beyond their original design life.[1]

The declining cost of renewable energy sources, such as solar power, wind power and battery storage, means it is unlikely a new coal-fired power station will ever be built in Australia.[2] The Liddell Power Station is the latest major coal-fired power station to be decommissioned, which took place on 28 April 2023.[3]

Total projected maximum energy capacity (MW) from coal-fired power stations in Australia
By Dec 31 of year, based on closure years listed below
22460
22260
22260
19380
17200
16406
16406
16406
16406
12446
12446
8566
8566
6723
6723
6723
2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 2036 2037 2038 2039

Total: 231377

New South Wales
Queensland
Victoria
Western Australia

New South Wales

[edit]
Power station Commission year Scheduled closure year Max. capacity (MW) CO2 emissions (t CO2-e/year) Emission intensity (t CO2-e/MWh) Turbines Coal type Conveyance Mine type Cooling water Owner
Bayswater 1982[4] 2033[5] 2,640 13,725,965[6] 0.88[6] 4 bituminous conveyors, rail open cut fresh AGL
Eraring 1982[4] 2027[7][a] 2,880 14,914,916[6] 0.87[6] 4 bituminous rail, truck underground salt Origin
Mt Piper 1993[4] 2040[9][10] 1,400 6,841,302[6] 0.87[6] 2 bituminous road, conveyor underground fresh EnergyAustralia
Vales Point B 1978[4] 2033[11] 1,320 7,015,626[6] 0.86[6] 2 bituminous conveyors underground salt Delta

Total (MW): 8,240

Decommissioned stations

[edit]
Power station Commission year(s) Closure year Max. capacity (MW) Emission intensity (t CO2-e/MWh) Turbines Coal type Conveyance Mine type Cooling water Former

owner

Liddell 1971-1973[4] 2023 2,000 0.94[6] 4 bituminous conveyors, rail open cut fresh
Munmorah 1969[4] 2012 1,400 1.16[12] 4 bituminous
Redbank 2001[13] 2014[13] 151 1.4[12] 1 bituminous
Wallerawang A 1957-1959[14] 1986 120 4 bituminous fresh
Wallerawang B 1961[14] 1990 120 2 bituminous fresh
Wallerawang C 1976-1980[14] 2014 1000 1.05[12] 2 bituminous fresh
White Bay A 1917-1925[14] 1955 58.5 5 bituminous
White Bay B 1926-1928[14] 1975 86 4 bituminous
White Bay C 1951-1958[14] 1983 100 2 bituminous
Pyrmont A 1904-1924[15] 1950s 75 7 bituminous
Pyrmont B 1952-1955[15] 1983 200 4 bituminous
Ultimo 1899-1951 1963 79.5 11 bituminous
Bunnerong A 1926-1937 1975 175 7 bituminous
Bunnerong B 1939-1947 1975 200 4 bituminous
Tallawarra A 1954-1955[16] 1989 120 4 bituminous
Tallawarra B 1960[16] 1989 200 2 bituminous
Balmain A 1909-1935 1976 41 9 bituminous
Balmain B 1940-1956 1976 84.4 4 bituminous

Queensland

[edit]
Power station Commission year Scheduled closure year Max. capacity (MW) CO2 emissions (t CO2-e/year) Emission intensity (t CO2-e/MWh) Turbines Coal type Conveyance Mine type Cooling water Owner Refs
Callide B 1989[4] 2028[17] 700 5,103,540[6] 0.92[6] 2 bituminous conveyor open cut fresh CS Energy, Intergen [18][19]
Callide C 2001[4] Not Announced[20] 810 5,265,665[6] 0.9[6] 2 bituminous conveyor open cut fresh CS Energy, Intergen [18][19]
Gladstone 1976[4] 2035[17] 1,680 8,547,021[6] 0.95[6] 6 bituminous rail open cut seawater Rio Tinto, NRG [18]
Kogan Creek 2007[4] 2042[20] 750 4,360,686[6] 0.83[6] 1 bituminous conveyor open cut dry cooled CS Energy [18]
Millmerran 2002[4] 2051[20] 852 5,794,351[6] 0.82[6] 2 bituminous conveyor open cut dry cooled Intergen[21] [18]
Stanwell 1993[4] 2046[20] 1,445 7,637,735[6] 0.87[6] 4 bituminous rail open cut fresh Stanwell [18]
Tarong 1984[4] 2037[20] 1,400 10,473,950[6] 0.86[6] 4 bituminous conveyor open cut fresh Stanwell [18][22]
Tarong North 2002[4] 2037[20] 443 1 bituminous conveyor open cut fresh Stanwell [18]

Total (MW): 8,080

Victoria

[edit]
Power station Commission year Scheduled closure year Max. capacity (MW) CO2 emissions (t CO2-e/year) Emission intensity (t CO2-e/MWh) Turbines Coal type Conveyance Mine type Cooling water Owner
Loy Yang A 1984[4] 2035[23] 2200 20,107,115[6] 1.17[6] 4 lignite conveyors open cut fresh cooling tower AGL
Loy Yang B 1993[4] 2047[20] 1050 10,132,776[6] 1.14[6] 2 lignite conveyors open cut fresh cooling tower Chow Tai Fook, Alinta Energy[24]
Yallourn Power Station 1975[4] 2028[25][26] 1480 13,856,313[6] 1.34[6] 4 lignite conveyors open cut fresh cooling tower EnergyAustralia

Total (MW): 4,730

Western Australia

[edit]
Power station Commission year Scheduled closure year Max. capacity (MW) CO2 emissions (t CO2-e/year) Emission intensity (t CO2-e/MWh) Turbines Coal type Conveyance Mine type Cooling water Owner
Collie 1999[4] 2027[27] 340 1,848,693[6] 0.91[6] 1 bituminous conveyor open cut fresh Synergy
Muja 1981[4] (units 1–5 closed)

2025 (Unit 6)[28][29]
2029 (Units 7 & 8)[27]

654 3,982,663[6] 0.9[6] 4 bituminous conveyor open cut fresh Synergy
Bluewaters 2009[4] – 416 2,966,541[6] 0.88[6] 2 bituminous conveyor open cut fresh Sumitomo Group, Kansai Electric

Total (MW): 1,410

  • Kwinana A (240 MW) was shut down in 2010, and Kwinana C (400 MW) was shut down in 2015.[30]

Other states/territories

[edit]

The Australian Capital Territory does not use coal or oil to generate electricity. The Kingston Powerhouse being the last coal-fired power station in the territory, which was decommissioned in 1957.

The Northern Territory relies predominantly on natural gas, as well as various renewable energy sources. Likewise, it has no functioning coal-fired power stations.

South Australia previously had a number of coal power stations. The last to be closed were the Northern and Playford B power stations.[31]

Tasmania has no functioning coal-fired power stations, instead using primarily hydroelectricity, with natural gas used as a backup.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Prior to 2022, Unit 4 was scheduled to close in 2030, unit 1 scheduled to close in 2031, units 2 and 3 scheduled to close in 2032.[8]

Sources

[edit]
  • Boom and Bust 2021: Tracking The Global Coal Plant Pipeline (Report). Global Energy Monitor. 5 April 2021.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Daryl Passmore (26 March 2017). "Australia's coal-fired power stations too old and among worst in the OECD". The Courier Mail. News Corp. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  2. ^ "No new coal-fired power plants will be built in Australia, says CS Energy". 7:30 Report. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 16 February 2017. Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  3. ^ "Australia's oldest coal-fired station Liddell powers down in the Hunter Valley". ABC News. 27 April 2023. Archived from the original on 28 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Electricity Markets and the role of coal fired power stations" (PDF). Retirement of coal power stations. Commonwealth of Australia. 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 May 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  5. ^ "AGL to close Loy Yang A, Bayswater coal plants sooner than expected". ABC News. 9 February 2022. Archived from the original on 11 February 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai "Electricity sector emissions and generation data 2017–18". www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au. Archived from the original on 22 September 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
  7. ^ Rhiana Whitson; Michael Janda (16 February 2022). "Origin Energy to shut Australia's largest coal-fired power plant by 2025". ABC News. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  8. ^ Parkinson, Giles (18 May 2021). "Origin to close first unit of Australia's biggest coal generator in 2030". RenewEconomy. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  9. ^ Foley, Nick Toscano, Mike (23 September 2021). "EnergyAustralia to close NSW coal power plant early". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Palmer, Benjamin (24 September 2021). "What to expect as Energy Australia pushes forward closure of Mt Piper as it aims to move out of coal by 2040". Lithgow Mercury. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Vales Point coal closure date pushed back four years in latest threat to renewables transition". RenewEconomy. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  12. ^ a b c "Hunter Valley group plans to re-open Australia's "dirtiest" coal generator". RenewEconomy. 22 March 2019. Archived from the original on 3 May 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  13. ^ a b "REDBANK POWER STATION". Verdant Earth. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Owen Peake. "Thermal Power Station Heritage in Australia". Trust Advocate. National Trust of Australia (Victoria). Archived from the original on 9 January 2022. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  15. ^ a b McCulloch, Colin. "EVOLUTION OF PYRMONT POWER STATION" (PDF). Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Huntley Colliery 1946 – 1989 | Illawarra Heritage Trail". 9 February 2021. Archived from the original on 24 May 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  17. ^ a b "Qld to close coal-fired power station a decade early". Australian Financial Review. 6 October 2019. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h "Coal-Fired Plants in Australia – QLD & SA". Gallery. Power Plants Around The World. 3 January 2014. Archived from the original on 19 July 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  19. ^ a b "Callide Power Station". Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g "Generating Unit Expected Closure Year". AEMO. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  21. ^ "Millmerran". Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  22. ^ "Tarong Coal Power Plant". Global Energy Observatory. Archived from the original on 27 April 2014. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  23. ^ "AGL will close Victoria's coal-fired power station Loy Yang A a decade early". the Guardian. 28 September 2022. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  24. ^ "Loy Yang B Power Station | Power Generation – Alinta Energy".
  25. ^ "EnergyAustralia to close Yallourn coal plant in 2028, to build massive big battery". RenewEconomy. 9 March 2021. Archived from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  26. ^ "Battery power in, coal-fired power out as energy giant closes plant four years early". www.abc.net.au. 9 March 2021. Archived from the original on 10 March 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  27. ^ a b Mercer, Daniel (13 June 2022). "Synergy coal power stations including Muja to close as WA Government prioritises renewable energy". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. p. 15. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  28. ^ "Media statement – Muja Power Station in Collie to be scaled back from 2022". www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au. Archived from the original on 12 August 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  29. ^ "Muja C Unit 6 in reserve mode and online for summer 2024-25 | Western Australian Government". www.wa.gov.au. Archived from the original on 6 April 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  30. ^ "Kwinana Power Station". Global Energy Monitor. 30 April 2021. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  31. ^ "South Australia's Last Coal-Fired Power Station Demolished". The Urban Developer. 27 April 2018. Archived from the original on 30 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
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