Major gas-fired cogeneration plant to power refinery near Collie

9/9/97

One of Australia's largest gas-fired cogeneration plants will power Worsley Alumina's new 3.1 million tonne per annum alumina/bauxite refinery near Collie.

The facility will be jointly owned by Western Power, the State Government-owned electricity utility, and Fletcher Challenge Energy of New Zealand. The partnership will be known as the South West Cogeneration Joint Venture.

Cogeneration is the combined generation of both electrical and thermal energy. Exhaust gases from the 120 megawatt (MW) gas turbine will be directed into a heat recovery steam generator where water will be heated to raise a further 200 tonnes of steam per hour for use in the alumina refining process.

Western Australian Resources Development Minister Colin Barnett congratulated Western Power and Fletcher Challenge Energy on their initiative to join together to develop the cogeneration plant.

Mr Barnett said that compared with conventional methods of generating steam and electricity, cogeneration was significantly more energy efficient.

"It has lower nitrogen, sulphur dioxide and particulate emissions than a coal-fired boiler generating the same amount of energy," he said.

"It is estimated that the cogeneration facility will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6,000 tonnes of sulphur dioxide, 3,000 tonnes of nitrogen dioxide and 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum.

"Approximately 40 megawatts of electricity will be used by Worsley Alumina, with the remainder directed into Western Power's South-West interconnected grid.

"Gas for firing the cogeneration facility will be supplied from the East Spar gas field off the North-West and transported through the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas Pipeline."

Media contact: Justine Whittome (08) 9222 9699