Northern Power Station (South Australia)

This article is about the power station in South Australia. For the power station in Sri Lanka, see Northern Power Station (Sri Lanka).
Northern Power Station
Location of Northern Power Station in South Australia
Country Australia
Location Port Augusta, South Australia
Coordinates 32°32′34″S 137°47′15″E / 32.5429°S 137.7874°E / -32.5429; 137.7874Coordinates: 32°32′34″S 137°47′15″E / 32.5429°S 137.7874°E / -32.5429; 137.7874
Commission date 1985
Operator(s) Alinta Energy
Thermal power station
Primary fuel coal
Power generation
Units operational 2
Website
alintaenergy.com.au/assets/generation/flinders/

Northern Power Station is located in Port Augusta, South Australia. It is coal powered with two 260 MW steam turbines that generate a total of 520 MW of electricity. It is operated and maintained by Alinta Energy and was commissioned in 1985.[1] Northern receives coal by rail from the Leigh Creek Coal Mine, 280 km to the north. As of January 2016, Alinta expected that Northern would cease operations in May 2016.

Emissions

Air

Carbon Monitoring for Action estimates this power station emits 3.62 million tonnes of greenhouse gases each year as a result of burning coal.[2] Other air-borne emissions are reported annually to the National Pollution Inventory. As of 2012-13, from greatest to smallest, emissions include: sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, hydrochloric acid, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, manganese, mercury, chromium, boron, chlorine, zinc, nickel, copper, lead and others.[3]

Marine

Northern Power Station draws cooling water from Upper Spencer Gulf and returns it to the sea at an elevated temperature. The water is returned 7°C warmer than the original intake water. The flow rate is 47 m³ per second.[4] Its outfall channel is intended to be used by Sundrop Farms to disperse desalination brine from a proposed seawater desalination plant to create freshwater for a greenhouse, expected to be completed in 2016.[5][6]

Additional marine emissions include (from largest to smallest): boron, fluoride, arsenic, manganese, chromium, nickel and mercury.[3]

Closure and alternative uses

Despite being the lowest marginal cost fossil fuel generator in South Australia,[1] Northern's economic viability was progressively eroded as wind and solar generation increased in South Australia. During the operation of carbon pricing in Australia under the Clean Energy Act, Northern reduced operation to seasonal summer-only operation.[7]

In recent years its long-term future remained has been subject to much consideration, including life extension and complete replacement. In 2013, Alinta Energy announced that it was investigating developing a new low-grade coal deposit which could extend the working lives of both Northern and adjacent Playford B power stations until the year 2030.[8] Concept level proposals have been discussed for the replacement of the plant with either a gas-fired, a concentrated solar thermal plant[9] or a nuclear power plant.

On 11 June 2015, Alinta Energy announced its intent to permanently close the power station by March 2018, along with the related Playford B Power Station, and the Leigh Creek coal mine that supplies them both with fuel.[10] This was updated on 30 July 2015 to bring the closure dates of all three facilities forward by 12 months, with closure to occur between March 2016 and March 2017.[11]

On 7 October 2015, Alinta Energy announced that Northern and Playford B would close around 31 March 2016.[12] In January 2016, Alinta announced that the closure date had been set back to 8 May 2016.[13] Demolition of both stations and site remediation work is expected to take 18 to 24 months to complete.[14]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Port Augusta Power Stations | Flinders Operations". alintaenergy.com.au. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
  2. ↑ "Carbon Monitoring for Action". Center for Global Development. Retrieved 2011-03-05.
  3. 1 2 "2012/2013 report for FLINDERS OPERATING SERVICES PTY LTD, NORTHERN POWER STATION - Port Augusta, SA". National Pollution Inventory. Australian Government. Retrieved 2015-02-23.
  4. ↑ Nyrstar Port Pirie Smelter Transformation Proposal Public Environment Report (PDF). Port Pirie, South Australia: Nyrstar. 2013. p. 179.
  5. ↑ "Giant greenhouse grows tomatoes using solar-powered desalination". edie.net. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  6. ↑ "Construction begins on huge solar tower plant for Port Augusta farm". Renew Economy. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
  7. ↑ "Carbon price claims SA’s largest coal-fired generator | Beyond Zero Emissions". bze.org.au. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
  8. ↑ Changerathil, Valerina (2015-02-23). "Alinta's ageing coal-fired Northern Power Station, Playford Station at Port Augusta likely to stay until 2030". The Advertiser. Retrieved 2015-02-23.
  9. ↑ "Latest Electricity and Natural Gas News | Alinta Energy". alintaenergy.com.au. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
  10. ↑ "Alinta Energy to close power stations at Port Augusta and coal mine at Leigh Creek". ABC Online. 2015-06-11. Retrieved 2015-06-11.
  11. ↑ "Latest Electricity and Natural Gas News | Alinta Energy". alintaenergy.com.au. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
  12. ↑ "Flinders Operations Update | Alinta Energy". alintaenergy.com.au. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
  13. ↑ "Alinta extends Port Augusta power station closure deadline - InDaily". InDaily. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  14. ↑ "Alinta Energy announces demolition plans for Port Augusta power stations". ABC News. Retrieved 2016-01-16.

External links


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