| Stanwell Power Station | |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Rockhampton |
| Coordinates | |
| Status | Baseload |
| Commission date | 1996 |
| Owner(s) | Stanwell Corporation |
| Power station information | |
| Primary fuel | Coal |
| Power generation information | |
| Maximum capacity | 1,400 MW |
Stanwell Power Station is Stanwell Corporation Limited's major operating site which is located near Rockhampton and one of the largest industrial developments undertaken in Queensland. With a capacity to generate 1,400 megawatts (MW), Stanwell Power Station supplies electricity for distribution to customers via the state's high voltage electricity grid.
Stanwell became fully operational in 1996 and is located on 1,600 hectares of land. Construction of the station took seven years, with infrastructure built to withstand cyclonic winds.
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There are four generating units at Stanwell Power Station, each with a capacity of 350 MW. The four units and their components are housed in a 20 storey boiler house and a turbine hall the length of three football fields. The power station is highly automated and achieves both an efficient, effective workplace and high asset performance through the application of innovative technology[1] and organisational design. These innovations have been recognised both nationally and internationally. Stanwell Power Station currently holds a world record for 1,073 days of continuous operation on Unit 4.
The station features a 210-metre-high-chimney stack which was constructed using approximately 750,000 bricks. Two of the station's most impressive structures are the cooling towers. Each tower stands 130 metres high (about the height of a 40-storey building) and is 100 metres in diameter. Fifteen thousand cubic metres of concrete was poured for each tower. The plume seen coming from the cooling towers is steam, lost through evaporation during the water cooling process.
The power station emits 9.67 million tonnes of greenhouse gases each year[2] as a result of burning coal. The IPCC says that developed countries should reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 to 40% by 2020 and by 80 to 95% by 2050.[3] The Australian government has announced a target for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions of 60% from 2000 levels by 2050.[4] because of the harmful effects of global warming on Australia.
Carbon Monitoring for Action estimates this power station emits 9.67 million tonnes of greenhouse gases each year as a result of burning coal.[5] The Australian Government has announced the introduction of a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme commencing in 2010 to help combat climate change. It is expected to impact on emissions from power stations. The National Pollutant Inventory provides details of other pollutant emissions, but, as at 23 November 2008, not CO2.
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