| Tallawarra Power Station | |
| Coordinates: | -34.5228°N 150.8081°W |
| Country: | Australia |
| Location: | Yallah, New South Wales, Australia |
| Status: | O |
| Commissioned: | 2009 |
| Owner: | EnergyAustralia |
| Th Fuel Primary: | Natural gas |
| Ps Units Manu Model: | Alstom |
| Ps Combined Cycle: | Yes |
Tallawarra Power Station is a 435MW combined cycle natural gas power station[1] in Yallah, New South Wales, Australia. Owned and operated by EnergyAustralia, the station is the first of its type in New South Wales[2] and produces electricity for the state during periods of high demand.[3] It is located on the western shore of Lake Illawarra.
The station comprises a 260MW gas turbine and a 160MW steam turbine unit[3] and has a total capacity of .[1] It uses many of the previous power station's structures including the cooling system channels from Lake Illawarra. The power station is connected to the state grid via a 132 kV switching station maintained by Endeavour Energy.
Tallawarra originally operated as a coal-fired power station beginning in 1954 and reaching full operation by 1961.[4] At its peak, it had a capacity output of . 'A' station had four 30MW Thomson-Houston 2 stage (HP+LP) turbo generators. Steam was supplied by four Simon Carves pulverised fuel boilers at 300000abbr=onNaNabbr=on at a pressure of 625abbr=onNaNabbr=on and a temperature of 865°F. In 1960 "B" station was built having two 100MW English Electric 3-stage turbo generators (No. 5+6). The generators were hydrogen-cooled but didn't have any stator water cooling. Steam was supplied by 2 ICAL pulverised coal burning boilers at a rate of 800000abbr=onNaNabbr=on at a pressure of 1680abbr=onNaNabbr=on and a temperature of 1000°F. The station closed in 1989, and stood abandoned by the foreshore of Lake Illawarra. It was demolished over a ten-year period.[5]
In early 2003 the site was sold by Pacific Power to TRUenergy and construction of the gas-fired combined cycle plant began in November 2006. The plant consists of a gas turbine of and a 3-stage steam turbine of with a single 450MW generator. A unique feature is the waste heat boiler with a super heater and two reheater sections for the IP and LP stages of the turbine. Overall thermal efficiency is 60%.[6] It was opened by Premier Nathan Rees on 18 March 2009.[7]
In 2021 construction began on Stage B, a 300+ MW expansion of the existing Stage A power station and the construction of a 420MW Open Cycle Gas Turbine Power Plant.[8] It was commissioned in June 2024.[9]