Northern Power Station (South Australia)
| Northern Power Station | |
|---|---|
  Location of Northern Power Station in South Australia | |
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Port Paterson, South Australia[1] |
| Coordinates | 32°32′34″S 137°47′15″E / 32.5429°S 137.7874°ECoordinates: 32°32′34″S 137°47′15″E / 32.5429°S 137.7874°E |
| Commission date | 1985 |
| Operator(s) | Alinta Energy |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | coal |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 2 |
|
Website alintaenergy | |
Northern Power Station is located in the locality of Port Paterson in the Australian state of South Australia about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) south of the city centre of Port Augusta.[1] It was coal powered with two 260 MW steam turbines that generated a total of 520 MW of electricity. It was operated and maintained by Alinta Energy and was commissioned in 1985.[2] Northern received coal by rail from the Leigh Creek Coal Mine, 280 km to the north. The plant ceased electricity production in May 2016 and decommissioning is underway.
Emissions
Air
Carbon Monitoring for Action estimated that this power station emitted 3.62 million tonnes of greenhouse gases each year as a result of burning coal.[3] Other air-borne emissions were reported annually to the National Pollution Inventory. As of 2012-13, from greatest to smallest quantity, airborne emissions included: 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.[4]
Marine
Northern Power Station drew cooling water from Upper Spencer Gulf and returned it to the sea at an elevated temperature. The water was returned 7°C warmer than the original intake water. The flow rate was 47 m³ per second.[5] 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.[6][7]
Additional marine emissions included (from largest to smallest quantities): boron, fluoride, arsenic, manganese, chromium, nickel and mercury.[4]
Closure and alternative uses
Despite being the lowest marginal cost fossil fuel generator in South Australia,[2] 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.[8]
In recent years its long-term future 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.[9] Concept level proposals have been discussed for the replacement of the plant with either a gas-fired, a concentrated solar thermal plant[10] 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.[11] 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.[12]
On 7 October 2015, Alinta Energy announced that Northern and Playford B would close around 31 March 2016.[13] Alinta Energy shut off the Northern Power Station at about 9:30am on the 9th of May 2016.[14]
Months after the shutdown, the state was plunged into darkness with some parts losing power for days — after a mid-latitude cyclone smashed through SA in late September 2016, damaging vital infrastructure. Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan said large energy users and interstate power operators had discussed the reopening of the Northern Power Station but this has been dismissed by the South Australian Government.
See also
References
- 1 2 "Search result for "Port Paterson (Locality Bounded)" (Record no SA0040645) with the following layers being selected - "Suburbs and Localities" and "Place names (gazetteer)"". Government of South Australia. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
- 1 2 "Port Augusta Power Stations | Flinders Operations". alintaenergy.com.au. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
- ↑ "Carbon Monitoring for Action". Center for Global Development. Retrieved 2011-03-05.
- 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.
- ↑ Nyrstar Port Pirie Smelter Transformation Proposal Public Environment Report (PDF). Port Pirie, South Australia: Nyrstar. 2013. p. 179.
- ↑ "Giant greenhouse grows tomatoes using solar-powered desalination". edie.net. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
- ↑ "Construction begins on huge solar tower plant for Port Augusta farm". Renew Economy. Retrieved 2016-03-11.
- ↑ "Carbon price claims SA's largest coal-fired generator | Beyond Zero Emissions". bze.org.au. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "Latest Electricity and Natural Gas News | Alinta Energy". alintaenergy.com.au. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
- ↑ "Alinta Energy to close power stations at Port Augusta and coal mine at Leigh Creek". ABC Online. 2015-06-11. Retrieved 2015-06-11.
- ↑ "Latest Electricity and Natural Gas News | Alinta Energy". alintaenergy.com.au. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
- ↑ "Flinders Operations Update | Alinta Energy". alintaenergy.com.au. Retrieved 2015-12-27.
- ↑ "SA's coal era ends, but what's next?". indaily.com.au. Retrieved 2016-10-18.