Anglesea Power Station

Anglesea Power Station
The single steam turbine 150MW Anglesea power station. Photo: John Englart
Location of Anglesea Power Station in Australia
Country	Australia
Location	Anglesea, Victoria
Coordinates	38°23′20.51″S 144°10′50.12″E / 38.3890306°S 144.1805889°E / -38.3890306; 144.1805889Coordinates: 38°23′20.51″S 144°10′50.12″E / 38.3890306°S 144.1805889°E / -38.3890306; 144.1805889
Status	Closed
Commission date	20 March 1969
Owner(s)	Alcoa
Operator(s)	Alcoa
Thermal power station
Primary fuel	Brown coal
Power generation
Units operational	1 × 150 megawatts (200,000 hp)
Nameplate capacity	150 megawatts (200,000 hp)

The Anglesea Power Station was a brown coal–powered thermal power station located at Anglesea, in Victoria, Australia. The station has one steam turbine with a capacity of 150 megawatts (200,000 hp) of electricity.

It was previously operated by Alcoa of Australia and supplied almost 40% of the electricity used by Alcoa's nearby Point Henry aluminium smelter, until the smelter's closure in August 2014. In June 2015 Alcoa announced that the power plant and mine would close at the end of August 2015, after the company was unable to find a buyer for the power station.^[1] On 31 August 2015 it ceased operation at planned.^[2] Mine rehabilitation, plant decommissioning and demolition are now in planning.

The power station was brought online on 20 March 1969,^[3] and was supplied with coal by the adjacent open cut mine, transported to the power station along a 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) long private road. Overburden was stripped and backfilled into the mined area by earthmoving contractors using conventional power shovels and trucks. About 80 people worked at the coal mine and power station.^[4]

History

From 1955 test bores for coal were made at Anglesea by the Roche Brothers, who were then operating a mine at nearby Wensleydale where the coal reserves were dwindling. An extensive coal deposit was found two kilometres to the north of the Anglesea township, with mining commencing in 1959 to supply brown coal to industry and institutions in the Geelong area. The mining rights were taken over by Western Mining Corporation (WMC) in 1961 to supply the power station planned by Alcoa of Australia. The Mines (Aluminum Agreement) Act of 1961 granted Alcoa a 50–year exclusive right to explore and mine over some 7,350 hectares (18,200 acres) of leasehold land in the region.^[5] After further drilling investigation WMC relocated the mining operation to the east of the original mine, closer to the power station site and providing access to a larger coal reserve of 50 million long tons (51,000,000 t). The total thickness of the coal seams is about 140 metres (460 ft), with total economic mineable reserves estimated at 70 million long tons (71,000,000 t) in the upper seam, and a further 90 million long tons (91,000,000 t) in lower seams. In 1992 the overburden to coal ratio averaged around 2.5 to 1, with an average coal thickness of 27 metres (89 ft).^[5]

Following negotiation with the Victorian government in 2011, Alcoa took up a 50 year extension of the Agreement under the Mines (Aluminium Agreement) Act 1961, allowing for continued operation of the mine and power station until 2016.^[6] Alcoa has outlined plans to expand the footprint of the mine by approximately 50 percent, taking the total disturbed area from approximately 400 to 600 hectares (990 to 1,480 acres), from about 2016.^[7]

As of 2005 approximately 35 million tonnes (34×10^⁶ long tons) of coal had been mined, with about 1.1 million tonnes (1.1×10^⁶ long tons) of brown coal mined annually to feed a boiler that consumes 144 tonnes (142 long tons; 159 short tons) of pulverised brown coal an hour. The coal at Anglesea has a high quality heat value when compared to other brown coals used to produce electricity in Victoria, but has a much higher level of sulphur of around 3%, resulting in high levels of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions.^[8] Carbon Monitoring for Action estimates this power station emits 1.21 million tonnes (1.19×10^⁶ long tons) of greenhouse gases each year as a result of burning coal.^[9] Anglesea draws its cooling water from six sub-artesian well bores, supplemented with rainwater.

With the closure of the Point Henry Aluminium smelter, Alcoa applied for and was granted a licence in May 2014 by the Essential Services Commission to sell electricity to the National Electricity Market. An Alcoa spokesperson said in February 2014 that it was seeking sale options and it may be closed if a sale was not possible.^[4] In May 2015, Alcoa announced that it was unable to find a buyer for the plant, and would close it and the associated coal mine in August 2015.^[1] Closure occurred as planned on 31 August 2015.

Panorama of the Anglesea open cut brown coal mine and power station. Photo by John Englart

Criticism

Since 2011 Alcoa and the Anglesea power station have come under increasing local criticism, with residents forming the Surf Coast Air Action group concerned with health impacts of air pollution from the mine and power station.^[10] The group has campaigned for reduced emissions from the power station, and with the closure of the Port Henry aluminium smelter that there is little justification for continuing the operation of the power station.^[11]

Alcoa rejected claims it had exceeded targets, saying it had met its worldwide targets for reducing sulphur dioxide emissions, although it did not dispute that Anglesea’s SO2 emissions actually went up from a base figure of 32,899 tonnes (32,379 long tons; 36,265 short tons) to 39,000 tonnes (38,000 long tons; 43,000 short tons) in 2012-13.^[12][13]

Friends of the Earth Australia argued in its December 2013 submission to the Essential Services Commission (Victoria) that Alcoa should not be granted a licence to directly sell power to the National Electricity Market for four reasons: no additional coal-fired power was needed, Alcoa has no social licence to operate in the energy market, local health concerns, and that continuing operation of the power station undermines efforts to address climate change.^[14]

Alcoa's licence for the Anglesea Power Station to transmit electricity to the grid was approved, although community groups said the decision lacked transparency and legitimacy as no community consultation was conducted by the Essential Services Commission.^[15]

Protests

Two major protests in Anglesea have occurred in 2014 regarding the future of the coal mine and power station. In July over 500 people made up a human sign on the beach at Anglesea saying 'Shut it Down'.^[16] On 10 August 2014 several hundred people attended a rally and march calling for the coal mine and power station to be shut down.^[17]

See also

• List of power stations in Victoria
• State Electricity Commission of Victoria

References

External links

• Alcoa of Australia: Anglesea Power Station