Callide Power Station

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Callide Power Station
CountryAustralia
LocationBiloela, Central Queensland
Coordinates24°20′50″S 150°36′31″E / 24.34722°S 150.60861°E / -24.34722; 150.60861Coordinates: 24°20′50″S 150°36′31″E / 24.34722°S 150.60861°E / -24.34722; 150.60861
StatusPartially operational after fire
Commission date1965
Construction cost$28.7 million
Owner(s)CS Energy
Thermal power station
Primary fuelCoal
Turbine technologySteam turbines
Cooling sourceFresh
Power generation
Units operational8
Nameplate capacity1,720 MW
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Callide Power Station is located near Biloela, in Central Queensland, Australia. It is coal powered with eight steam turbines with a combined generation capacity of 1,720 megawatts (MW) of electricity. Callide A was commissioned in 1965, refurbished in 1998 and decommissioned in 2015/16.[1] As of 2018, generation capacity was 1510 MW.[1]

The coal for Callide comes from the nearby Callide Coalfields and water from the Awoonga dam and Stag Creek Pipeline.[2]

An explosion and fire at the Callide C power plant in late May 2021 caused a significant power outage that affected over 375,000 premises and raised electricity prices for weeks afterwards.

Callide A[]

At the end of 1962 approval was granted for a new power station near Biloela.[3] Work commenced at the site in February 1963. The design of the plant based around separate generating units and a control room was a first for Queensland.[3] It was also the first power station in Queensland to use dry cooling towers.[3]

It had four 30 MW steam turbines, the first of which was operating by June 1965. From its commissioning a drought meant water restrictions at the station reduced output.[3] The second set was expected to be operating by May 1966, but was lost at sea while being transported from England.[3] A replacement unit arrived in June 1967. The third set was operating in October 1967 and the fourth in May 1969.[3] The total cost of the project was A$28.7 million.[3]

Callide A has been in storage since 2001, except for Unit 4 which was being used for the Callide Oxyfuel project.[4]

The Callide Oxyfuel project was decommissioned in 2015/16 after demonstrating carbon capture technology for two years.[1]

Callide B[]

Following on from an aggressive construction program at Tarong Power Station, Callide B was commissioned in 1988 with two 350 MW steam turbines. The Hitachi machines are almost identical to those in Tarong and Stanwell.

In October 2019, Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor announced that Callide B's originally planned 2038-39 closure was being brought forward to 2028.[5]

Callide C[]

The Callide Power Plant (a.k.a. Callide C) was commissioned in 2001 with two 405 MW advanced cycle steam turbines.[6] Callide C uses a more efficient "supercritical" boiler technology to burn coal to generate electricity.[7]

Carbon Monitoring for Action estimates this power station emits 5.73 million tonnes of greenhouse gases each year as a result of burning coal.[8] The Australian Government introduced a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme in 2011 to help combat climate change, intended to reduce emissions from power stations. The scheme was replaced in 2014 by a 'direct action' program. The National Pollutant Inventory provides details of other pollutant emissions, but, as at 23 November 2008, not CO2.[9]

On 25 May 2021, an explosion and subsequent fire at Callide C caused a significant power outage (including Callide B and parts of Stanwell and Gladstone power stations)[10] that affected over 375,000 premises,[11][12][13] and caused increased power prices for weeks.[14] The hydrogen-filled generator had a catastrophic failure, resulting in damage that will take months to repair.[15]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Callide Power Station". Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  2. ^ InterGen Archived 2008-08-05 at the Wayback Machine page on Callide. Retrieved 2008-05-18
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Dunn, Col (1985). The History of Electricity in Queensland. Bundaberg: Col Dunn. pp. 136–139. ISBN 0-9589229-0-X.
  4. ^ Spero, Chris; Yamada, Toshihiko; Nelson, Peter; Morrison, Tony; Bourhy-Weber, Claire. "Callide Oxyfuel Project – Combustion and Environmental Performance" (PDF). www.eventspro.net. 3rd Oxyfuel Combustion Conference. Retrieved 5 May 2017.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Qld to close coal-fired power station a decade early". Australian Financial Review. 6 October 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
  6. ^ InterGen & CS Energy Open US$800 MLN Australian Power Project. AsiaPulse News. 05-JUL-2001 Retrieved 2008-05-18
  7. ^ Australia joins the supercritical ranks: although a country with a coal-based power industry, Australia has taken up supercritical technologies surprisingly late. However, once started there seems to be no stopping. Here we look at a series of new supercritical developments that have been commissioned in the coal country of Queensland. Modern Power Systems 01-APR-2005 Retrieved 2008-05-18
  8. ^ Callide C. Carbon Monitoring for Action. Retrieved on 23 November 2008
  9. ^ "National Pollutant Inventory". www.npi.gov.au. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  10. ^ Parkinson, Giles (3 June 2021). "Queensland coal generators tripped off like dominoes after Callide explosion". RenewEconomy. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Queensland power outage leaves hundreds of thousands in dark". 25 May 2021.
  12. ^ CS Energy [@CSEnergyQld] (25 May 2021). "CS Energy has immediately acted following an incident at Callide Power Station near Biloela in Central Queensland today" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. ^ https://www.facebook.com/QldFireandEmergencyServices/posts/4066584826755380?__tn__=-R
  14. ^ Leitch, David (7 June 2021). "Price explosion: Gas producers clean up as sun goes down in post Callide world". RenewEconomy. Archived from the original on 7 June 2021.
  15. ^ Union believes power station could be closed up to a year

External links[]

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