Existing coal-fired power stations in Queensland


 * Callide power station is located 18 kilometres east of Biloela in central Queensland and comprises the Calldie A and B units and the Callide Power Plant, which is also referred to as the Callide C unit. Callide A was originally constructed in 1965, was refurbished and recommissioned in April 1998. It is now the site of the Callide Oxyfuel Project. The Callide B unit was commissioned in 1988 while the 900 MW supercritical Callide Power Plant was commissioned in 2001. The installed capacity of the three units is 1720 megawatts.


 * Collinsville power station is operated by Transfield Services Infrastructure Fund and is located 4km West of Collinsville, Queensland. The power station has an installed capacity of 180 megawatts (MW) from four 30MW generating units and one 60MW unit. The company states that the plant was "completely refurbished in 1998 through a joint venture with Transfield Collinsville Pty Limited and NRGenerating Holdings. It is independently estimated that Collinsville has a potential remaining technical life of 18 years based on the refurbished plant design life of 30 years." Coal for the power station is sourced from the nearby Collinsvale mine.


 * Gladstone power station is operated by Comalco/NRG and is located five kilometres north-west of Gladstone. It uses black coal, was commissioned between 1976 and 1982 and generates 1,680 megawatts from six 280 megawatt generating units. Approximately 60% of the output of the plant is sold under a long term contract to Rio Tinto Alcan's Boyne Island aluminum smelter. NRG states that the plant consumes approximately 4 million tonnes of coal a day or approximately 11,000 tonnes a day.


 * Millmerran power station is operated by Intergen is an 850 megawatt coal-fired power station near the town of Millmerran on the Darling Downs in southern Queensland. The plant is an air-cooled supercitical design which the company states uses 10% less coal and 90% less water than conventional coal plants. Coal is sourced from the adjacent Commodore mine.


 * Stanwell power station is operated by is owned and operated by the government-owned generator Stanwell Corporation. It uses black coal, was commissioned between 1993 and 1996 and generates 1,400 megawatts from four 350 MW generating units. The power station is located 22 kilometres west of Rockhampton in Central Queensland. The company states that the power station burns approximately 4 million tonnes a year of "low sulphur black coal sourced from various Central Queensland mines".


 * Swanbank B power station is operated by CS Energy. It uses black coal, was commissioned between 1970 and 1973 and generates 500 megawatts.


 * Tarong power station is operated by Tarong Energy and is located 180 kilometres north-west of Brisbane. It uses black coal, was commissioned between 1984-86 and generates 1,400 megawatts. The power station sources 7 million tonnes of coal a year from the adjacent Meandu mine, which is owned by Tarong Energy. While the company initially considered that on purchase of the mine from Rio Tinto in 2008 that the reserves of the mine were limited but sufficient to allow a transition to the Kunioon Coal Project. However, further reserves have been discovered sufficient to supply the Tarong and Tarong North power stations until 2025.


 * Tarong North power station is operated by Tarong Energy. It uses black coal, was commissioned in 2002 and generates 443 megawatts. The power station sources coal from the adjacent Meandu mine, which is owned by Tarong Energy. While the company initially considered that on purchase of the mine from Rio Tinto in 2008 that the reserves of the mine were limited but sufficient to allow a transition to the Kunioon Coal Project. However, further reserves have been discovered sufficient to supply both the Tarong and Tarong North power stations until 2025.

Related SourceWatch Articles

 * Australia and coal
 * Carbon Capture and Storage trials