Tallawarra Power Station FAQs

Read through the answers to the following Frequently Asked Questions for more detailed information on the Tallawarra power station. 

 

 

 


What type of power station is TRUenergy building?
TRUenergy is constructing a 400 megawatt combined cycle power plant.  Clean burn natural gas will be used to fuel the power stations generator, making it the most efficient fossil fuel power station in Australia.

Why is the power station needed?
TRUenergy Tallawarra will deliver much-needed generation capacity to NSW at a time when peak energy demand is rising at almost three percent a year.  Tallawarra will deliver low cost, reliable electricity to our growing base of New South Wales residential and business customers and will reduce the risk of power shortages at times when demand for electricity rises rapidly.

Where is the power station located?
TRUenergy Tallawarra is located in Yallah, south of Wollongong, New South Wales.

What makes this location a good site for a power station?
The Tallawarra power station is being constructed on an industrial site that previously housed the old Tallawarra coal-fired power station, which operated between 1954 and 1989.  The site is also close to Lake Illawarra, a suitable water source for water needed to operate the power station, and the existing electricity network.

Has the power station started operating?
Commissioning or 'road testing' of the power station has commenced to ensure the optimal, safe operation of the power station once it starts full scale commercial operation. Testing will continue between now and the power stations expected completion date.

What are the exact specifications of the Tallawarra power station?
The power station will comprise a 260MW gas turbine and a 160MW steam turbine unit coupled to a 420MW electrical generator.

What makes combined cycle power stations so efficient?
The process of capturing the heat from the exhaust gases is what makes combined cycle power stations so efficient. Exhaust gases can typically carry away up to 60% of the heat produced during the gas cycle production process.  Capturing and reusing the heat in the gases delivers significant improvements in thermal efficiency the efficiency at which the power plant uses heat to generate electricity. 

How much power will TRUenergy Tallawarra produce?
TRUenergy Tallawarra will produce up to 400 megawatts of electricity using one steam turbine and one natural gas turbine coupled to an electricity generator.  This is enough electricity to power over 200,000 homes.

How will TRUenergy Tallawarra be used to supply power to the market?
TRUenergys Tallawarra power station will provide an additional 400MW capacity for the NSW market during periods of high electricity demand.   It will be capable of providing power within minutes of start-up making it useful during times of intermediate and peak electricity demand when extra power is required to power the electricity grid for a short period (i.e. on summer days when air conditioners increase demand for energy).

Where will Tallawarra source its gas supplies from?
TRUenergy has secured gas for the project and has negotiated transport arrangements with Alinta Infrastructure Holdings to supply gas to the power station via the Eastern Gas Pipeline. 

Who is responsible for reviewing and approving the power station development?
The development consent authority for Tallawarra power station is Wollongong City Council. The power station licence requirements are determined by the Environmental Protection Authority (now the Department of Environment and Climate Change) and New South Wales Fisheries (now the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries).
The planning assessment process for Tallawarra Stage B is carried out by the New South Wales Department of Planning, the consent authority being the Minister for Planning.
In both cases, the applications are reviewed by various relevant government agencies and publicly exhibited.

When will the power station be completed?
The power station is on schedule to be completed in time for summer, 2008/09.

What will it cost TRUenergy to build the Tallawarra power station?
TRUenergy is fully funding construction of the $350 million Tallawarra power station.

What are TRUenergys plans for boosting the capacity of the power station?
Consistent with our commitment to the Illawarra and to providing our customers with a secure energy supply, TRUenergy is also preparing an application to develop another power station adjoining Tallawarra Stage A.  TRUenergy is currently completing the environmental assessment required by legislation to ensure the collective environmental impacts of both these stations meet all regulations.  More information will be provided as we move through the development process, including a public exhibition process. 

How greenhouse friendly will TRUenergy's new power station be?
Tallawarra is expected to produce 70 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than most existing coal-fired power stations. 

Will the Tallawarra power station produce air emissions?
Air pollutants are produced as a result of burning natural gas.  Tallawarra will use a state-of-the-art combustion system to ensure low emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) to protect regional air quality. The power station will produce no particulates, make negligible contribution to ambient levels of sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and airborne particles.

There will be no odours caused by these emissions.

Once the power station starts commercial operation, TRUenergy will be required to operate within the limits of its government regulated environmental licence which will extend to cover air emissions.  TRUenergy must also regularly record air quality data and report this to the Department of Environment and Climate Change, who will monitor our compliance with this important licence condition.

Will the power station have an impact on Lake Illawarra?
TRUenergy has developed a total water cycle management approach in order to maintain the amenity of Lake Illawarra. 

As with the old power station, the new power station will draw cooling water from the lake via the existing inlet canal. Water will be used to cool the steam in the power station, and will then be discharged via the outlet canal.  Discharged water will be up to five degrees warmer than incoming water, and will cool rapidly as it disperses down the outlet canal.  This small temperature difference is within our licence limits and is much less than the temperature of water discharged by the previous power station. Discharges will pose no threat to lake users or aquatic wildlife.

Will noise from the power station be an issue?
TRUenergy must ensure noise levels from the Tallawarra power station stay below government regulated limits. To ensure we do this, the power station has been built within a 35 hectare buffer zone on Tallawarra land, isolating it from nearby houses and businesses.  The design and materials used in the power station will also limit noise.

Residents in the suburbs of Dapto, Koonawarra, Kanahooka and Haywards Bay live at least one kilometre from the power station. At this distance, noise from the normal operation of the power station will be so low residents wont be able to hear it above everyday sounds they are accustomed to.

What will the power station look like?
All buildings for the power station are now complete.  Apart from the emissions stack, which must be clearly identified as a precaution to aircraft, facilities have been designed to blend into the surrounding environment.  Nearby residents may also be able to see some task lighting that will be dotted around the plant to provide security for the plant and a safe workplace for employees.

How will the power station be lanscaped?
To ensure Tallawarra power station facilities blend in with their surrounds, extensive landscaping is underway.  TRUenergy has selected native plants to provide a natural habitat for birds and animals. This vegetation will also form an attractive backdrop to the picnic area TRUenergy has developed on the lake shore

Can I get access to the power station?
Visitors will still be able to access the foreshore and surrounding recreational areas at the end of Yallah Bay Road.  Picnic tables and a playground have been provided for public use.  Apart from pre-arranged tours and open days, members of the public will not be able to access the power station site.  Safety and security is a high priority for TRUenergy and as such, access to the site will be carefully controlled by a security team.

What was formerly on the site?
The development site was formerly occupied by the Pacific Power coal-fired power station which operated until its closure in 1989.  TRUenergy purchased the Tallawarra site in April 2003 following de-commissioning of the original Tallawarra power station in the mid 1990s.

How many jobs will the power station generate?
At the peak of construction, the power station employed over 600 workers, most of who were hired from within the local region. Workforce numbers are now declining as the power station nears completion. Over 25 full time positions will remain in place once the power station starts up to oversee the operation and ongoing management of the power station. TRUenergy will also continue to hire local firms to meet additional maintenance and other service requirements.

What happens in the advent of an emergency?
The Tallawarra power station will be operated by an experienced team of qualified operators. In the result of an emergency, the power stations risk recovery plan will be enacted and if required, emergency services such as fire, ambulance or police will be contacted.

How do I report a problem relating to the power station?
Local residents that wish to make an report an issue with the power station should call the power station operations team on 1800 336 003. Please be ready to provide your name, details relating to the nature of the issue you wish to report, the time it occurred and a contact number for us to get back in touch with you.

 

TRUenergy supplies gas and electricity to residential and business customers. We retail energy in
Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, ACT and Queensland.