Tallawarra Power Station

Tallawarra Power Station
Location of the Tallawarra Power Station in New South Wales
Country	Australia
Location	Yallah, western shore of Lake Illawarra, Shellharbour
Coordinates	34°31′22″S 150°48′29″E / 34.52278°S 150.80806°E / -34.52278; 150.80806Coordinates: 34°31′22″S 150°48′29″E / 34.52278°S 150.80806°E / -34.52278; 150.80806
Status	Operational
Commission date	2009
Owner(s)	EnergyAustralia
Thermal power station
Primary fuel	Natural gas
Combined cycle?	yes
Power generation
Units operational	1 X 260 MW GT26 gas turbine 1 X 160 MW steam turbine
Make and model	Alstom
Nameplate capacity	435

Tallawarra Power Station is a 435 MW combined cycle natural gas power station^[1] in the city of Shellharbour, New South Wales, Australia. Owned and operated by TRUenergy, the station is the first of its type in New South Wales^[2] and produces electricity for the state during periods of high demand.^[3] It is located on the western shore of Lake Illawarra in the suburb of Yallah.

The station comprises a 260 MW gas turbine and a 160 MW steam turbine unit^[3] and has a total capacity of 435 MW.^[1] It uses many of the previous power station's structures including the cooling system channels from Lake Illawarra. The power station is connected to the state grid via a 132 kV switching station maintained by Integral Energy.

TRUenergy has also indicated that an additional power plant is being considered for the site, to be known as Tallawarra B.^[1]

History

Tallawarra originally operated as a coal-fired power station beginning in 1954 and reaching full operation by 1961.^[4] At its peak, it had a capacity output of 320 MW. 'A' station had four 30 MW Thomson-Houston 2 stage (HP+LP) turbo generators. Steam was supplied by four Simon Carves pulverized fuel boilers at 300,000 lbs/hr at a pressure of 625 psi and a temperature of 865 °F. In 1960 "B" station was built having two 100 MW English Electric 3-stage turbo generators (No5+6). The generators were hydrogen-cooled but didn't have any stator water cooling. Steam was supplied by 2 ICAL pulverised coal burning boilers at a rate of 800,000 lb/h (360,000 kg/h) at a pressure of 1,680 psi (11.6 MPa) and a temperature of 1,000 °F (538 °C). The station closed in 1989, and stood abandoned by the foreshore of Lake Illawarra. It was demolished over a ten-year period.^[5]

In early 2003 the site was sold by Pacific Power to TRUenergy (then known as TXU) and construction of the gas-fired combined cycle plant began in November 2006. The plant consists of a gas turbine of 288 MW and a 3 stage steam turbine of 160 MW with a single 450 MW generator. A unique feature is the waste heat boiler with a super heater and two reheater sections for the IP and LP stages of the turbine. Overall thermal efficiency is 60%.^[6] It was opened by the NSW Premier Nathan Rees on 18 March 2009.^[7]

References