Gladstone power station
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Gladstone power station is an operating power station of at least 1680-megawatts (MW) in Stanwell, Queensland, Australia.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Gladstone power station | Stanwell, Queensland, Australia | -23.850667, 151.219711 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6: -23.850667, 151.219711
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal: bituminous | 280 | subcritical | 1976 | 2035 (planned) |
| Unit 2 | operating | coal: bituminous | 280 | subcritical | 1977 | 2035 (planned) |
| Unit 3 | operating | coal: bituminous | 280 | subcritical | 1978 | 2035 (planned) |
| Unit 4 | operating | coal: bituminous | 280 | subcritical | 1979 | 2035 (planned) |
| Unit 5 | operating | coal: bituminous | 280 | subcritical | 1981 | 2035 (planned) |
| Unit 6 | operating | coal: bituminous | 280 | subcritical | 1982 | 2035 (planned) |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | NRG Gladstone Operating Services Pty Ltd [100%] | Rio Tinto Alcan Inc [42.1%]; NRG Energy Inc [37.5%]; SLMA GPS Pty Ltd [8.5%]; Ryowa II GPS Pty Ltd [7.1%] |
| Unit 2 | NRG Gladstone Operating Services Pty Ltd [100%] | Rio Tinto Alcan Inc [42.1%]; NRG Energy Inc [37.5%]; SLMA GPS Pty Ltd [8.5%]; Ryowa II GPS Pty Ltd [7.1%] |
| Unit 3 | NRG Gladstone Operating Services Pty Ltd [100%] | Rio Tinto Alcan Inc [42.1%]; NRG Energy Inc [37.5%]; SLMA GPS Pty Ltd [8.5%]; Ryowa II GPS Pty Ltd [7.1%] |
| Unit 4 | NRG Gladstone Operating Services Pty Ltd [100%] | Rio Tinto Alcan Inc [42.1%]; NRG Energy Inc [37.5%]; SLMA GPS Pty Ltd [8.5%]; Ryowa II GPS Pty Ltd [7.1%] |
| Unit 5 | NRG Gladstone Operating Services Pty Ltd [100%] | Rio Tinto Alcan Inc [42.1%]; NRG Energy Inc [37.5%]; SLMA GPS Pty Ltd [8.5%]; Ryowa II GPS Pty Ltd [7.1%] |
| Unit 6 | NRG Gladstone Operating Services Pty Ltd [100%] | Rio Tinto Alcan Inc [42.1%]; NRG Energy Inc [37.5%]; SLMA GPS Pty Ltd [8.5%]; Ryowa II GPS Pty Ltd [7.1%] |
Background
The Gladstone power station is a 1,680 megawatt (MW) coal-fired power station which is owned by a consortium of companies and operated by NRG Gladstone Operating Services, a subsidiary of the U.S. energy company NRG Energy.
The Stanwell Corporation states that "the station was commissioned in 1976 and later purchased from the Queensland Electricity Commission in 1994 by a joint venture comprising Rio Tinto Aluminium, three of its Japanese partners in Boyne Smelters Limited (BSL), and NRG, a US based energy provider ... Following a 2007 restructure of Queensland’s energy assets, Stanwell is responsible for trading the output from Gladstone Power Station."[1]
Since 1994, the station has been operated by NRG Gladstone Operating Services on behalf of Joint Venture participants Rio Tinto Ltd (42.125%), NRG Energy Inc (37.5%), SLMA GPS Pty Ltd (8.50%), Ryowa II GPS Pty Ltd (7.125%) and YKK GPS (Queensland) Pty Ltd (4.75%).[2]
As of April 2022, the power station employed more than 320 local residents. It remained the largest power plant in Queensland.[3]
Environmental Issues
According to a 2019 analysis of the federal government’s National Pollutant Inventory, Gladstone power station emitted 111 kilograms of mercury between 2017 and 2018, the fourth highest amount in the country.[4]
An April 2020 update to the government's National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) found that larger-particle pollutants from Gladstone increased from 160,800 kilograms in 2017-18 to 190,900 in 2018-19, while smaller particulates rose by 23% from 56,932 kilograms in 2017-18 to 69,793 kilograms.[5]
In April 2022, new data showed that while reducing electricity generation by 16% in the year of 2020-21, emissions of PM2.5 and PM10 pollution from Gladstone power station increased by about the same amount (15% and 16% respectively).[6]
Proposed Retirement
In July 2018, a report from the Australian Energy Market Operator predicted that the Gladstone Power Station would retire by 2029.[7] The operators of the Gladstone Power Station rejected this prediction, claiming that the station would stay in operation beyond 2029.[8] In October 2019, the Australian Energy Market Operator revised the predicted retirement year to 2035.[9]
In March 2023, it was reported that high coal prices had forced Rio Tinto to write off one of the station's major customers, the Boyne Smelter, down to zero.[10] According to the news article, "[i]f the Power Station were to lose the Boyne Smelter as a customer, its lifespan could suddenly and unexpectedly shorten." [10]
Contact Details
Gladstone Power Station
Hanson Road Gladstone QLD 4680
Website: http://www.nrggos.com.au/
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ Standwell Corporation, "Gladstone Power Station", Stanwell Corporation, accessed June 2010.
- ↑ NRG, "About Us", NRG Gladstone, accessed April 2019
- ↑ Gladstone Power Station Welcomes New General, Gladstone News, Apr. 22, 2022
- ↑ Adam Carey "Mercury emissions from Victoria's coal-fired power plants top nation", The Age, March 31, 2019
- ↑ Tony Moore, Queensland's older coal-fired power plants see major jump in emissions, Brisbane Times, Apr. 9, 2020
- ↑ New data shows big jump in toxic coal plant pollution, even as output falls, Renew Economy, Apr. 5, 2022
- ↑ Integrated System Plan, Australian Energy Market Operator, July 2018
- ↑ Gladstone Power Station: We will operate beyond 2029, Energy Matters, Aug. 8, 2018
- ↑ Qld to close coal-fired power station a decade early, Australian Financial Review, Oct. 7, 2019
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Rio Tinto writes off Boyne Smelter amid soaring coal prices, Australian Conservation Foundation, March 10, 2023
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
