| Stratford Power Station | |
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Location | Taranaki |
| Coordinates | |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | 1998, 2010 |
| Decommission date | 2001 |
| Owner(s) | Contact Energy |
| Power station information | |
| Primary fuel | Natural Gas |
| Combined cycle? | yes |
| Power generation information | |
| Maximum capacity | 575 MW |
The Stratford Power Station is a 575 MW power station located east of Stratford, Taranaki, New Zealand. It comprises one combined cycle unit and two open cycle gas turbine units and is owned and operated by Contact Energy.
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A 200MW power station was built on the Stratford Power Station site, completed in June 1976.[1] This comprised four 50MW units, each a Pratt and Whitney TwinPak of two FT4 gas turbines. The FT4 engine is the stationary version of the Pratt & Whitney JT4. This plant was fired on natural gas, and was decommissioned and removed in 2001.
The FT4 units were owned and operated (in turn) by NZED, NZE, ECNZ and Contact Energy.
The plant comprises of one 360 MW combined cycle unit, based on a GT26 gas turbine in single shaft configuration. Cooling is achieved with a mechanical draft cooling tower, using water from the Patea River. This plant is known as TCC (Taranaki Combined Cycle). Fletcher Construction started construction in 1996 and it was commissioned in 1998.[2] It was purchased by Contact Energy in 2003.
Over 2009 and 2010, a 200 MW of new generation was built on the site, comprising two LMS100 gas turbine units in open cycle configuration[3]. This is used for peaking duty, to complement hydro and wind generation, and was officially opened by Prime Minister John Key on 31 May 2011.[4]