List of coal-fired power stations in Australia explained

These fossil fuel power stations burn coal to power steam turbines that generate some or all of the electricity they produce. Australia's fleet of coal-fired power stations are aging and many are due for decommissioning, and are being replaced by a combination of mostly renewable energy. In early 2017, 75% of the coal-fired power stations in the country were operating beyond their original design life.[1]

The declining cost of renewable energy sources, such as solar power, wind power and battery storage, means it is unlikely a new coal-fired power station will ever be built in Australia.[2] The Liddell Power Station is the latest major coal-fired power station to be decommissioned, which took place on 28 April 2023.[3]

New South Wales

Power stationCommission yearScheduled closure yeardata-sort-type="number" Max. capacity (MW)CO2 emissions (t CO2-e/year)Emission intensity (t CO2-e/MWh)TurbinesCoal typeConveyanceMine typeCooling waterOwner
Bayswater1982[4] 2033[5] 2,64013,725,965[6] 0.884bituminousconveyors, railopen cutfreshAGL
Eraring19822027[7] 2,88014,914,9160.874bituminousrail, truckundergroundsaltOrigin
Mt Piper19932040[8] [9] 1,4006,841,3020.872bituminousroad, conveyorundergroundfreshEnergyAustralia
Vales Point B19782033[10] 1,3207,015,6260.862bituminousconveyorsundergroundsaltDelta

Total (MW): 8,240

Decommissioned stations

Power stationCommission year(s)Scheduled closure yeardata-sort-type="number" Max. capacity (MW)Emission intensity (t CO2-e/MWh)TurbinesCoal typeConveyanceMine typeCooling waterFormerOwner
Liddell1971-197320232,0000.944bituminousconveyors, railopen cutfresh
Munmorah196920121,4004bituminous

Queensland

Power stationCommission yearScheduled closure yearMax. capacity (MW)CO2 emissions (t CO2-e/year)Emission intensity (t CO2-e/MWh)TurbinesCoal typeConveyanceMine typeCooling waterOwnerRefs
Callide B19892028[11] 7005,103,5400.922bituminousconveyoropen cutfreshCS Energy, Intergen[12] [13]
Callide C2001Not Announced[14] 8105,265,6650.92bituminousconveyoropen cutfreshCS Energy, Intergen
Gladstone197620351,6808,547,0210.956bituminousrailopen cutseawaterRio Tinto, NRG
Kogan Creek200720427504,360,6860.831bituminousconveyoropen cutdry cooledCS Energy
Millmerran200220518525,794,3510.822bituminousconveyoropen cutdry cooledIntergen[15]
Stanwell199320461,4457,637,7350.874bituminousrailopen cutfreshStanwell
Tarong198420371,40010,473,9500.864bituminousconveyoropen cutfreshStanwell[16]
Tarong North200220374431bituminousconveyoropen cutfreshStanwell

Total (MW): 8,080

Victoria

Power stationCommission yearScheduled closure yearMax. capacity (MW)CO2 emissions (t CO2-e/year)Emission intensity (t CO2-e/MWh)TurbinesCoal typeConveyanceMine typeCooling waterOwner
Loy Yang A19842035[17] 220020,107,1151.174ligniteconveyorsopen cutfresh cooling towerAGL
Loy Yang B19932047105010,132,7761.142ligniteconveyorsopen cutfresh cooling towerChow Tai Fook, Alinta Energy[18]
Yallourn Power Station19752028[19] [20] 148013,856,3131.344ligniteconveyorsopen cutfresh cooling towerEnergyAustralia

Total (MW): 4,730

Western Australia

Power stationCommission yearScheduled closure yearMax. capacity (MW)CO2 emissions (t CO2-e/year)Emission intensity (t CO2-e/MWh)TurbinesCoal typeConveyanceMine typeCooling waterOwner
Collie19992027[21] 3401,848,6930.911bituminousconveyoropen cutfreshSynergy
Muja1981(units 1–5 closed)2025 (Unit 6)[22] [23]
2029 (Units 7 & 8)		6543,982,6630.94bituminousconveyoropen cutfreshSynergy
Bluewaters2009–4162,966,5410.882bituminousconveyoropen cutfreshSumitomo Group, Kansai Electric

Total (MW): 1,410

Other states/territories

The Australian Capital Territory does not use coal or oil to generate electricity. The Kingston Powerhouse being the last coal-fired power station in the territory, which was decommissioned in 1957.

The Northern Territory relies predominantly on natural gas, as well as various renewable energy sources. Likewise, it has no functioning coal-fired power stations.

South Australia previously had a number of coal power stations. The last to be closed were the Northern and Playford B power stations.[25]

Tasmania has no functioning coal-fired power stations, instead using primarily hydroelectricity, with natural gas used as a backup.

See also

Sources

Notes and References

  1. News: Australia's coal-fired power stations too old and among worst in the OECD . Daryl Passmore . 26 March 2017 . The Courier Mail . News Corp . 28 September 2017 . 24 September 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210924060655/https://insight.adsrvr.org/track/up?adv=rx108zq&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.couriermail.com.au%2Fsubscribe%2Fnews%2F1%2F%3FsourceCode%3DCMWEB_WRE170_a%26dest%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.couriermail.com.au%252Fnews%252Fqueensland%252Faustralias-coalfired-power-stations-too-old-and-among-worst-in-the-oecd%252Fnews-story%252F7c1d333d1d16cf30f0b9fd4e368131b2%26memtype%3Danonymous%26mode%3Dpremium%26v21%3Ddynamic-cold-test-noscore%26V21spcbehaviour%3Dappend&upid=dd9kam9&upv=1.1.0 . live .
  2. Web site: No new coal-fired power plants will be built in Australia, says CS Energy . 16 February 2017. 7:30 Report . Australian Broadcasting Corporation . 28 September 2017 . 11 September 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180911032424/http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/no-new-coal-fired-power-plants-will-be-built-in/8278176 . live .
  3. News: 2023-04-27 . Australia's oldest coal-fired station Liddell powers down in the Hunter Valley . en-AU . ABC News . 2023-04-28.
  4. Web site: Electricity Markets and the role of coal fired power stations . 24 September 2018 . Retirement of coal power stations . Commonwealth of Australia . 2017 . 19 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190519021152/https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications/Coal_fired_power_stations/~/media/Committees/ec_ctte/Coal_fired_power_stations/Final%20Report/c02.pdf . live .
  5. News: 9 February 2022. AGL to close Loy Yang A, Bayswater coal plants sooner than expected. en-AU. ABC News. 11 February 2022.
  6. Web site: Electricity sector emissions and generation data 2017–18 . www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au . 22 September 2019 . 22 September 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190922065603/http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/NGER/Pages/Published%2520information/Electricity%2520sector%2520emissions%2520and%2520generation%2520data/Electricity-sector-emissions-and-generation-data-2017%25E2%2580%259318-.aspx . live .
  7. News: Rhiana Whitson . Michael Janda . Origin Energy to shut Australia's largest coal-fired power plant by 2025 . 16 February 2022 . ABC News . 16 February 2022 . en-AU.
  8. Web site: Foley. Nick Toscano, Mike. 23 September 2021. EnergyAustralia to close NSW coal power plant early. 24 September 2021. The Sydney Morning Herald. en. 23 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210923132224/https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/energyaustralia-to-close-nsw-coal-power-plant-early-20210923-p58u7p.html. live.
  9. Web site: Palmer. Benjamin. 24 September 2021. What to expect as Energy Australia pushes forward closure of Mt Piper as it aims to move out of coal by 2040. 24 September 2021. Lithgow Mercury. en-AU. 24 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210924060643/https://www.lithgowmercury.com.au/story/7443621/what-to-expect-as-energy-australia-pushes-forward-closure-of-mt-piper-as-it-aims-to-move-out-of-coal-by-2040/. live.
  10. Web site: 2023-07-13 . Vales Point coal closure date pushed back four years in latest threat to renewables transition . 2024-04-12 . RenewEconomy . en-AU.
  11. Web site: 6 October 2019. Qld to close coal-fired power station a decade early. 17 March 2021. Australian Financial Review. en. 10 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210310103107/https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/qld-to-close-coal-fired-power-station-a-decade-early-20191006-p52y19. live.
  12. Web site: Coal-Fired Plants in Australia – QLD & SA . Power Plants Around The World . Gallery . 3 January 2014 . 27 April 2014 . dead . http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20090719141300/http%3A//www.industcards.com/st%2Dcoal%2Daustralia%2Dqld%2Dsa.htm . 19 July 2009 .
  13. Web site: Callide Power Station. 2 October 2018. 2 October 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181002141628/https://www.csenergy.com.au/what-we-do/generating-energy/callide-power-station. live.
  14. Web site: Generating Unit Expected Closure Year. live. AEMO. 26 May 2021. 11 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210511090919/https://www.aemo.com.au/-/media/files/electricity/nem/planning_and_forecasting/generation_information/2021/generating-unit-expected-closure-year.xlsx?la=en.
  15. Web site: Millmerran . 24 March 2022 .
  16. Web site: Tarong Coal Power Plant . Global Energy Observatory . 27 April 2014 . 27 April 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140427180004/http://globalenergyobservatory.org/form.php?pid=43159 . live .
  17. Web site: 2022-09-28 . AGL will close Victoria's coal-fired power station Loy Yang A a decade early . 2022-09-29 . the Guardian . en.
  18. Web site: Loy Yang B Power Station | Power Generation – Alinta Energy .
  19. Web site: 9 March 2021. EnergyAustralia to close Yallourn coal plant in 2028, to build massive big battery. 10 March 2021. RenewEconomy. en-AU. 9 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210309235844/https://reneweconomy.com.au/energyaustralia-says-yallourn-coal-generator-to-close-early-in-2028/. live.
  20. Web site: 9 March 2021. Battery power in, coal-fired power out as energy giant closes plant four years early. 10 March 2021. www.abc.net.au. en-AU. 10 March 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210310002357/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-10/yallourn-power-station-early-closure/13233274. live.
  21. Web site: Mercer . Daniel . 13 June 2022 . Synergy coal power stations including Muja to close as WA Government prioritises renewable energy . . 22 September 2018 . 15.
  22. Web site: Media statement – Muja Power Station in Collie to be scaled back from 2022. 12 August 2019. www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au. 12 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190812091908/https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2019/08/Muja-Power-Station-in-Collie-to-be-scaled-back-from-2022.aspx. live.
  23. Web site: Muja C Unit 6 in reserve mode and online for summer 2024-25 Western Australian Government . 2024-04-09 . www.wa.gov.au . en.
  24. Web site: Kwinana Power Station . Global Energy Monitor . 17 February 2022 . en . 30 April 2021.
  25. News: South Australia's Last Coal-Fired Power Station Demolished . 27 April 2018 . The Urban Developer . 29 April 2018 . 30 April 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180430113855/https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/south-australias-last-coal-fired-power-station-demolished . live .

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