Mount Piper Power Station
{{Short description|Coal-fired power station in Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox power station
| name = Mount Piper Power Station
| image =
| country = Australia
| location = New South Wales
| coordinates = {{coord|33|21|32|S|150|1|56|E|type:landmark_region:AU|display=inline,title}}
| owner = EnergyAustralia
| status = O
| th_fuel_primary = Coal
| th_technology = Steam turbine
| ps_units_operational = 2 × {{convert|700|MW}}
| ps_units_manu_model = Tokyo Shibaura Electric (Japan)
| ps_electrical_capacity = 1,400
| ps_electrical_cap_fac = 56.60% (average 2017-2021)
| ps_annual_generation = 6,941 GW·h (average 2017-2021)
| commissioned = 1993
}}
Mount Piper Power Station is a coal powered power station with two steam turbines with a combined generating capacity of 1,400 MW of electricity. It is located near Portland, in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia and owned by EnergyAustralia, a subsidiary of CLP Group. On 23 September 2021, it was announced that the closure of the power station is being brought forward from 2042 to 2040 at the latest. The power station employs 250 workers.{{cite news |url=https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/energyaustralia-to-close-nsw-coal-power-plant-early-20210923-p58u7p.html |title=EnergyAustralia to close NSW coal power plant early |first1=Nick |last1=Toscano |first2=Mike |last2=Foley |date=23 September 2021 |work=The Age}} In 2024, Peter Dutton said he intends, if elected, to build one of seven government-owned nuclear power plants on this site, to be operational by 2035–2037.{{cite news |title=Peter Dutton reveals seven sites for proposed nuclear power plants |first1=Tom |last1=Crowley |first2=Jane |last2=Norman |date=2024-06-19 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-19/dutton-reveals-seven-sites-for-proposed-nuclear-power-plants/103995310 |access-date=2024-12-25 }}
Construction
The first generator (Unit 2) was completed in 1992, and the second (Unit 1) in 1993. Units 3 and 4, although planned, were not built. It was the last power station built by the Electricity Commission of New South Wales (a body since abolished). Much of the design work done was undertaken in-house by the commission.
In 2009 Delta Electricity (the government owned enterprise that previously owned and managed the power station as a commercial entity) unofficially re-rated the units at Mount Piper from their original 660MW to 700MW.{{Cite web|title=Mt Piper Power Station Extension Environmental Assessment|url=https://waubrafoundation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/05-Appendix-D-Mt-Piper-PS-Extension-EA_Noise_Sept-2009.pdf}}
In 2007 & early 2008 there was public talk of 'completing' the power station by using modern super-critical, dry-cooling tower, coal-fired units of up to 1000MW capacity which uses much less water from surrounding rivers.{{Cite web|title=Mt Piper Power Station Extension|url=https://majorprojects.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/prweb/PRRestService/mp/01/getContent?AttachRef=MP09_0119%2120190708T035920.858%20GMT}}
On 7 April 2010 the New South Wales Department of Planning announced that approval had been given to Delta Electricity to 'complete' the station by installing 2000MW of new generating capacity.{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/approved-power-plant-with-emissions-equal-to-29m-cars-20100406-rpfx.html|title=Approved: power plant with emissions equal to 2.9m cars|first=Louise|last=Hall|date=7 April 2010|work=The Sydney Morning Herald}}
Technical
Mount Piper draws its cooling water from Lyell Dam and Thomsons Creek Dam, both purpose-built for the station. Lyell Dam is located on the Coxs River {{convert|20|km}} away. Large pumps draw water from the dam and transfer it to a pipeline built between Thompsons Creek Dam and Mount Piper. The power station taking what water it needs and the excess flowing into Thompsons Creek Dam. When no pumps are in service the water supply to the power station is gravity fed from Thompsons Creek Dam.
Carbon Monitoring for Action estimates this power station emits 9.08 million tonnes of greenhouse gases each year as a result of burning coal.{{cite web|url=http://carma.org/plant/detail/29573|title=Carbon Monitoring for Action|access-date=23 November 2008}} The National Pollutant Inventory{{cite web|url=http://www.npi.gov.au/index.html|title=National Pollutant Inventory}} provides details of other pollutant emissions, but, as at 23 November 2008, not {{CO2|link=yes}}.
Operations
| class="wikitable"
|+ style="text-align: left;"|Yearly generation (MWh) by unit !Year !Total !MP1 !MP2 |
| 2011
|10,242,151 |
| 2012
|8,776,593 |
| 2013
|9,854,146 |
| 2014
|8,239,950 |
| 2015
|5,467,455 |
| 2016
|7,749,257 |
| 2017
|7,344,075 |
| 2018
|8,715,653 |
| 2019
|4,691,506 |
| 2020
|6,769,304 |
| 2021
|7,185,315 |
See also
{{Portal|Energy|Australia}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- Delta Electricity page on [http://www.de.com.au/default.aspx?FolderID=190&ArticleID=263 Mount Piper]
{{Energy in New South Wales}}