Tallawarra Power Station is a combined cycle gas turbine power plant located in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. EnergyAustralia is the owner and operator of the project.
The 435MW Tallawarra A began operations in 2009 as one of the largest gas-fired power stations in the country. The facility is scheduled to undergo modernisation in April 2024, a move that will increase its maximum output capacity to 480MW.
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The Tallawarra B Project is being developed to meet the NSW’s need for fast start gas-fired generation. The 316MW facility will operate as a peaking power station powered by a blend of gas and green hydrogen.
Tallawarra B is slated to become ready in 2023-24, around the same time when Liddell coal-fired thermal power station is set for closure.
Location
The Tallawarra Power Station is located in Yallah, NSW, on the western shore of Lake Illawarra. The site is around 13km from Wollongong and 85km south of Sydney.
Tallawarra B will be located within the existing Tallawarra Power Station site boundaries.
Tallawarra A Details
The 565ha Tallawarra site had a 320MW coal-fired power station with ancillary infrastructure such as stockpile, conveyors, and ash repositories. The plant was decommissioned in 1989 and the site was approved for a combined cycle gas turbine project in 1999.
EnergyAustralia purchased the site in 2003 and Tallawarra A began operations in 2009. As a Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) Power Station, it uses exhaust heat from the gas turbine to generate steam and eventually electricity.
The facility has a power generation capacity of 435MW, enough to power up to 200,000 homes.
During the planned maintenance in 2024, EnergyAustralia plans to carry out a high efficiency upgrade of Tallawarra A. This will make the facility power station ‘hydrogen capable’ and may involve replacing several internal components.
The scope of works may include upgrading existing compressor and turbine; replacing hardware components to improve combustion process; and modernising steam cycle and steam turbine.
The upgrade works will increase the facility’s nominal output from 400MW to 440MW and maximum output capacity from 440MW to 480MW.
According to EnergyAustralia, the upgrade will also increase efficiency of the power station, stabilise network voltage and boost the NSW electricity network and the National Electricity Market (NEM) as three of the five major coal fired power stations are scheduled to close in future.
Tallawarra B Details
Tallawarra B is proposed to have a capacity of 316MW. The fast-start open cycle power station will be able to deliver power to 150,000 homes at peak.
The project was declared as Critical State Significant Infrastructure (CSSI) by the NSW Minister for Planning in February 2008 and it was approved in December 2010.
Subsequently, EnergyAustralia received approval for two project modifications in December 2020.
Tallawarra B will involve building an open cycle gas turbine (OCGT) power station and associated infrastructure. It will also use some existing infrastructure of the Tallawarra A Power Station.
An extension to the existing lateral gas line at Tallawarra A will supply natural gas for the project.
The gas fired project will also be equipped to operate with a 5% volume of green hydrogen from 2025. EnergyAustralia plans to increase the percentage of green hydrogen in the fuel mix over time.
Green hydrogen will be transported to the facility using tube-trailers. Using NSW government funding, EnergyAustralia aims to procure up to 200,000kg of green hydrogen per year from 2025.
Once complete, Tallawarra B will generate electricity at a voltage in the range of 11-22kV. This electricity will be stepped up to 132kV by a transformer.
A new transmission line will be built to connect the facility to the network.
Construction of the plant commenced in 2022, and it is expected to be completed in 2023-24. The construction phase will create 250 jobs.
The gas project received A$78m in funding from the NSW Government, while the federal government provided A$5m to make the project hydrogen-ready.
Contractors Involved
TEAM Solutions won the electrical installation contract for the Tallawarra Power Station. The company provided development, monitor and submission of EOT claims, earned value analysis and quantity surveying assistance services.
Structural, piping and engineering specialists TWE was contracted to supply labour for the preparation, welding, and installation of carbon steel, stainless steel, and chromemoly material for the project.
To feed the Tallawarra power station, TRUEnergy and Nacap Australia joint venture installed a new 272mm steel gas main spur from the Eastern Gas Pipeline.
Corkery Consulting was engaged to prepare documentation for the planting works and offer technical advice, while training and consulting services provider Thomson Bridge was commissioned to review the Tallawarra Power Station’s HV operating procedures and safe access systems.
In 2020, Ektimo was engaged to replace the existing continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS) to meet both EPA/regulatory and client process requirements.
Aviation Projects received the contract to prepare an Aviation Impact Assessment to assess the potential risks to aviation from Tallawarra B.
Engineering company Clough, in partnership with GE, won the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for Tallawarra B. GE would supply 9F.05 gas turbines for the power facility.
APD Engineering received the contract to carry out a grid connection study to assess the local network and determine the upgrades required for the connection of a 300-450MW extra power generation to Tallawarra Switching Station.
GE selected industrial equipment supplier Flenco as the preferred partner for the supply of auxiliary systems for Tallawarra B.
In March 2023, GE won the contract to modernise Tallawarra A power plant. The company will supply a GT26 gas turbine, with the HE upgrade, for the project.
