Tallawarra power station

Demand for electricity is growing rapidly in NSW.  To ensure households and businesses continue to have a secure, reliable energy supply, TRUenergy is building a new 400 megawatt natural gas-fired power station near Wollongong in NSW.

TRUenergy is fully funding construction of the $350 million Tallawarra power station, which is on track to be completed in time for Summer 2008/09.

TRUenergy Tallawarra will be the first combined cycle, natural gas power station in NSW.  Combined cycle generation technology is super efficient, fast starting and cost effective to operate, meaning lower prices for power consumers.

Combined cycle technology is also better for the environment.  When complete, TRUenergy Tallawarra will produce 70 percent less carbon dioxide emissions than some coal fired power stations, making it Australia’s most efficient gas-fired power generation facility.

Constant monitoring of the power station’s environmental performance will also ensure air, water and noise emissions do not exceed current environmental standards.

How does a combined cycle gas-fired power plant work?

Conventional or ‘single cycle’ gas fired electricity generators use either steam or hot gas vapours to produce electricity.  First, natural gas is burned to create either hot combustion gases or steam, which then passes through a turbine.  The turbine then drives a generator to produce electricity.  A combined cycle power plant generates electricity more efficiently by combining these two power generation methods.

Combustion gases from the gas turbine exhaust pass through a Heat Recovery Steam Generator to produce steam, which is then fed back to the steam turbine to create additional electricity. The steam is captured and cooled to form water, which is then returned to the boiler to repeat the cycle. The result is a more efficient use of both natural gas and water.