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Mt Piper to be expanded to provide power to 55,000 more NSW homes

Jul 8, 2019

MELBOURNE, Australia – EnergyAustralia is to expand, and extend the life of the Mt Piper power station near Lithgow, in the New South Wales Central West.

Operational upgrades costing $80 million will expand the plant’s capacity by 60 megawatts, or enough electricity to power an additional 55,000 New South Wales homes.

EnergyAustralia Managing Director, Catherine Tanna, says the work involves replacing the majority of the internal componentry of the plant’s two 700 MW-capacity turbines. The project will be completed over the next two years, allowing each unit to provide 30 MW of additional power without having to burn more coal.

“Last year the community celebrated 25 years of Mt Piper providing reliable power to homes and businesses across New South Wales,” Ms Tanna said Monday. “Now we’re investing $80 million to help make sure the plant is around for another quarter-century, and it’s as efficient as it can possibly be.”

“The upgrade means Mt Piper will be able to power an additional 55,000 homes without burning a single, additional lump of coal,” she said.

Mt Piper’s nameplate generation capacity of 1400 MW is enough to supply 15 per cent of New South Wales’ electricity demand at present. It also supports system stability and complements intermittent forms of electricity like wind and solar as these new sources of power are integrated into a modern energy system.

“This is an incredibly important energy asset for New South Wales and the local Lithgow community so we are doing everything in our power to ensure it continues to operate in the most efficient and environmentally-friendly way,” Ms Tanna said.

Today, the power station provides direct and in-direct jobs for around 250 people and contributes around $40 million each year to the local economy. The turbine upgrades will increase economic activity in the Lithgow region during the upgrades with around 100 workers expected to contribute to the project.

With the closure of the Liddell Power Station expected in 2022, this is one of many investments that will be needed to replace it, a statement announcing the expansion released on Monday said.

“For EnergyAustralia and other companies, competing to replace Liddell is a big opportunity, one we’re looking forward to. We think the answer lies in a mix of renewables, gas, coal and transmission upgrades. A modern energy system, with a diversity of supply, will strengthen energy security, while providing clean and affordable power to New South Wales,” Ms Tanna said.

Toshiba International Corporation Pty. Ltd.(TIC), the Australian subsidiary of Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation (Toshiba ESS) which has extensive international experience with energy technology, has been selected to carry out the upgrade works.

The turbine upgrades are just one of the ongoing investments EnergyAustralia says it is making to secure the long future of Mt Piper.

The company in partnership with Centennial Coal is also investing in a new $200 million water treatment facility to treat mine water from the Springvale coal mine which is also near Lithgow, and enable its industrial re-use in the cooling system of Mount Piper. Long-term sustainable operation of the power station are expected to deliver environmental benefits to the local rivers and waterways.

In addition, EnergyAustralia says it is investigating rail transport options to diversify coal supply to the power station. Historically, there were six local mines capable of supplying Mount Piper. Now there’s just one – Springvale – and it is facing a series of operational and planning challenges.

Mt Piper was commissioned in stages over 1992 and 1993. Today the plant comprises two 700 MW coal-fired steam turbines. It draws its cooling water from Lyell Dam and Thompsons Creek Dam, both of which were specifically built to supply water to the power station.

EnergyAustralia, which is one of the country’s leading energy companies, owns and operates more than 5000MW of electricity generation and services around 1.7 million electricity and gas customers.

In addition to the Mt Piper turbine upgrades, EnergyAustralia is taking action to modernise Australia’s energy system in several ways, including exploring the use of nonrecyclable plastics, linen and cardboard to power turbines at Mt Piper, to produce electricity for another 40,000 NSW homes, known as the ‘Energy Recover’ Project.

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