Gladstone power station

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Gladstone power station is a 1,680-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant in Queensland, Australia.

Location

The map below shows the location of the plant, near Stanwell, Queensland.

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Background on Plant

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]

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.[3]

Proposed Shutdown

The power station is scheduled to be shut down in 2029.[4] In response to a report that two of its reactors might be shut down sooner, Queensland Energy Minister Mark Bailey said coal and gas generators would "continue to play a significant role in Queensland to 2030".[4] In October 2019 it was reported that the plant would continue to operate until 2035, per the Australian Energy Market Operator's database of coal-fired plants.[5]

Plant Details

  • Sponsor: NRG Gladstone
  • Parent company: Rio Tinto (42.125%), NRG Energy (37.5%), SLMA GPS Pty Ltd (8.50%), Ryowa II GPS Pty Ltd (7.125%) and YKK GPS Pty Ltd (4.75%)
  • Location: Stanwell, Queensland, Australia
  • Coordinates: -23.8506672, 151.2197108 (exact)
  • Status: Operating
  • Gross capacity: 1,680 MW (Units 1-6: 280 MW)
  • Type: Subcritical
  • In service: 1976-82
  • Coal type:
  • Coal source:
  • Source of financing:

Contact Details

Gladstone Power Station
Hanson Road Gladstone QLD 4680
Website: http://www.nrggos.com.au/

Articles and resources

References

  1. Standwell Corporation, "Gladstone Power Station", Stanwell Corporation, accessed June 2010.
  2. NRG, "About Us", NRG Gladstone, accessed April 2019
  3. Adam Carey "Mercury emissions from Victoria's coal-fired power plants top nation", The Age, March 31, 2019
  4. 4.0 4.1 Power Station rejects 2020-21 closure warning, Gladstone Observer, Nov. 20, 2017
  5. Qld to close coal-fired power station a decade early, Australian Financial Review, Oct. 7, 2019

Related SourceWatch articles

External resources

External articles