Eraring Power Station
Eraring Power Station
Location of Eraring Power Station in New South Wales
Country
  • Australia
Locationnear Dora Creek, Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates33°03′44″S 151°31′13″E / 33.06222°S 151.52028°E / -33.06222; 151.52028
StatusOperational
Commission date1982
Owner(s)Origin Energy
Thermal power station
Primary fuelBituminous coal
Turbine technologySteam turbine - Subcritical
Power generation
Units operational4 × 720 megawatts (970,000 hp) 1 x 42 megawatts (56,000 hp)
Make and modelTokyo Shibaura Electric (Japan)
Nameplate capacity2,922 MW
Capacity factor57% (average 1999-2023)
Annual net output16,012 GW·h (average 2017-2021)
External links
CommonsRelated media on Commons

Eraring Power Station is a coal-fired power station consisting of four 720 MW Toshiba steam-driven turbo-alternators for a combined capacity of 2,880 MW. The station is located near the township of Dora Creek, on the western shore of Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia and is owned and operated by Origin Energy. It is Australia's largest power station.[1] The plant has two smokestacks rising 200 m (656 ft) in height.[2] It is slated for closure by mid-2025, after a failed attempt to sell the loss making power station back to the state government.[3][4]

History and facilities

Eraring Power Station view from carpark

Construction of the power station began in 1977. The first turbo-alternator was brought online in 1982, with the second and third in 1983, and the fourth in 1984.[1] The generating capacity of each of the four turbines was upgraded from 660 MW to 720 MW between 2011 and 2012.[5] The process of upgrading the control room to a fully digital system was completed in 2005.

Salt water from Lake Macquarie is used for cooling and is supplied through a concrete tunnel which passes under Dora Creek and up to the station via open canal. Reclaimed sewage water from the Dora Creek Waste Water Treatment Works is heavily purified and used to generate steam for the turbines as opposed to using municipal potable water supplies. The salt water helps in the cooling of the superheated steam as well as moderation of the temperature of outlet water to minimise thermal pollution.

The coal comes from five mines in the local area, delivered by conveyor, rail and private road. There is significant coal storage capacity on site. Eraring power station employs the Fabric Filter system of dust collection, in which particulate emissions resulting from coal combustion are captured as opposed to being released into the atmosphere. Some of this material is stored in an area nearby while some is taken and used as a component of road base. From 2009 to 2013 the Eraring power station has been equipped with Dry Bottom Ash Handling Systems (the MAC - Magaldi Ash Cooler) at all four units.

Electricity generated at the station is transmitted through high voltage transmission lines. Turbines 1 and 2 are connected to a 330kV transmission line while turbines 3 and 4 are connected to a 500kV transmission line. It is scheduled to close by 2025.[6] It will close seven years sooner than expected, owing to its operator's inability to cope with the "influx of renewables."[7]

Fire

At 2.16 am on Friday 28 October 2011 unit 2B generator transformer exploded with the transformer oil catching fire. The oil fire burnt for approximately two days and the estimated repair cost was A$20 million.[8][9] Fire and Rescue NSW, assisted by the New South Wales Rural Fire Service controlled the initial incident with subsequent investigations by NSW Police, the Office of Environment & Heritage and WorkCover NSW.

Pollution

As of 2017, The power station has had allegations made against it, regarding the exceedance of NSW air pollution standards.[10] The EPA reported Mercury emissions of 1.3 kg, and has begun investigating the alleged under reporting of self collected emission data.[11]

Operations

The generation table uses eljmkt nemlog to obtain generation values for each year. Records date back to 2011.

Eraring Power Station Generation (MWh)
Year Total ER01 ER02 ER03 ER04
2011 13,659,058 2,312,987 3,517,022 3,431,958 4,397,091
2012 11,436,338 3,957,318 2,495,671 4,042,090 941,259
2013 11,212,750 2,466,760 2,919,034 2,627,003 3,199,953
2014 14,872,236 4,097,055 3,209,461 3,880,398 3,685,322
2015 13,859,264 3,143,835 3,401,995 3,467,143 3,846,291
2016 12,976,982 3,715,825 3,319,561 2,581,666 3,359,930
2017 17,808,059 4,590,572 4,214,507 4,429,132 4,573,848
2018 17,138,862 3,684,174 3,789,465 4,587,046 5,078,177
2019 17,180,757 4,129,736 4,919,873 3,213,348 4,917,800
2020 14,779,159 3,507,469 3,781,969 3,999,132 3,490,589
2021 13,151,237 3,307,567 3,530,184 3,910,043 2,403,443

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Energy, Origin (13 March 2018). "Electricity Generation - Origin Energy". originenergy.com.au. Archived from the original on 31 March 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  2. ↑ "Chimneys of Eraring Power Station, Newcastle | 1249922". Emporis. Archived from the original on 29 June 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  3. ↑ "Energy crisis: NSW government knocked back Origin offer to sell Eraring power plant". 21 July 2023. Archived from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  4. ↑ "Australia's biggest coal power plant to close as its economics become 'unsustainable'". ABC News. 16 February 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  5. ↑ "Preliminary Project Application" (PDF). Environmental Assessment Scoping Report - Eraring Energy: Eraring Power Station 750 MW Upgrade. Planning NSW. 22 August 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  6. ↑ Origin Energy to shut Australia's largest coal-fired power plant, Eraring Power Station, by 2025 ABC News 17 February 2022
  7. ↑ "Biggest power plant in coal-reliant Australia to close early". BBC. 17 February 2022. p. 1. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  8. ↑ Keene, Neil; Clennell, Andrew (28 October 2011). "Fears oil could seep into lake after explosion at Eraring power station in southern Lake Macquarie". The Daily Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  9. ↑ Cronshaw, Damon (1 November 2011). "Eraring dismisses explosion speculation". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
  10. ↑ "Environmental report slams Vales Point and Eraring Power Stations". coast community news. 14 September 2017. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018.
  11. ↑ "Eraring has been accused of under-reporting pollution". The Herald. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018.
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