Kwinana Power Station

Kwinana Power Station
Map
CountryAustralia
LocationKwinana, Western Australia
Coordinates32°11′55″S 115°46′30″E / 32.1986°S 115.775°E / -32.1986; 115.775 (Kwinana Power Station) Edit this at Wikidata
StatusOperational
Commission date1970 Edit this at Wikidata
Decommission dateEdit this at Wikidata
OwnerSynergy
Thermal power station
Primary fuelCoal, Natural Gas
Turbine technologySteam cycle
Cooling sourceSea water
Power generation
Nameplate capacity900 MW Edit this at Wikidata
External links
CommonsRelated media on Commons

Kwinana Power Station (KPS) was Synergy's second-largest power station, located in Naval Base, Western Australia within the City of Kwinana. At its peak, power was produced from six turbines driven by steam from boilers fired by coal, natural gas or fuel oil, and one gas turbine. The steam turbines closed in 2015;[1] however, two gas turbines continue to operate on the site.[clarification needed][2] This is not to be confused with Cockburn Power Station to its immediate south.

KPS was originally built in 1970 as an oil-fired power station, however it was later converted to coal due to the rising price of oil caused by the 1973 oil crisis. This project received an 'Engineering Excellence Award' from the Institution of Engineers Australia (Engineers Australia) in 1980.[3]

A 20 MW gas turbine, able to be operated on natural gas or diesel fuel, was added in 1972 and took the total nameplate rating to 900 MW which was the station's peak.[4] With greatly increased availability of natural gas from the North West Shelf Venture project, natural gas firing was introduced in the mid 1980s. In 2005 oil burning was re-introduced making the power station unique in Western Australia as it could burn the three fuels: coal, natural gas and oil.

The original station operated:

  • Two 120 MW steam turbines (oil/gas/coal fired) as A units 1 & 2 from 1970/1 to September 2010
  • Two 120 MW steam turbines (oil/gas/coal fired) as B units 3 & 4 from 1972/3 to December 2008
  • Two 200 MW steam turbines (oil/gas/coal fired) as C units 5 & 6 from 1978/9 to October 2015
  • One 20 MW gas turbine from 1972
  1. ^ "Project Profile: Kwinana Power Station Phase 3 Demolition and Rehabilitation Project" (PDF). McMahon Services. 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2022. Kwinana Power Station, which closed in 2015, ... was first commissioned in November 1970.
  2. ^ "Power stations".
  3. ^ "Conversion of Kwinana Power Station from Oil to Coal Firing". University of Melbourne. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
  4. ^ "Kwinana Power Station". Power Technology. 8 May 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2022.