Redbank power station

From Global Energy Monitor

Redbank power station was a 151-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant in New South Wales, Australia. The power plant was retired in August 2014. As of 2023, a proposed conversion was in development to use the retired coal plant to burn woody biomass.

Location

The map below shows the location of the plant, near Gouldsville, New South Wales.

Loading map...

Background on Plant

The Redbank power station was a 151-megawatt coal fired plant in New South Wales, Australia. It was owned and operated by National Power, a privately-owned company which also has interests in wind, solar and biomass projects.[1][2] It is currently owned by Redbank Energy.

The coal plant was retired in 2014. [3]

Proposed conversion to burn woody biomass

In March 2023, it was reported that the energy company Verdant Earth Technology had "lodged a scoping report for its plans to restart the Redbank Power Station near Singleton and use 850,000 tonnes of waste wood residue as a substitute fuel for the generation of electricity," but was being met by opposition from environmental groups. [4] One environmental advocacy group in NSW called on "all political parties to immediately rule out this ridiculous proposal to waste taxpayers’ money to bulldoze [their] forests and create millions of tonnes of emissions." [4]

Handout from carbon tax package

National Power, the former owners of the Redbank Power Station, received $8,766,418.74 of the $1 billion cash payments given out in 2011/12[5] to the operators of the most polluting coal-fired power stations. The cash was paid from the Energy Security Fund which was established as a part of the carbon tax legislation passed in 2011.[6][7]

Bitcoin Proposal

In April 2018, the IOT Group in partnership Hunter Energy announced a plan to restart Redbank in 2019 and use the energy to create bitcoin, and potentially to power other blockchain applications.[8]

Plant Details

  • Sponsor: Redbank Energy
  • Parent company: Redbank Energy
  • Location: Gouldsville, New South Wales, Australia
  • Coordinates: -32.5805339, 151.0714695 (exact)
  • Status: Retired (August 2014)
  • Gross capacity: 151 MW (Unit 1)
  • Type: Subcritical
  • In service: 2001
  • Coal type:
  • Coal source:
  • Source of financing:

Articles and Resources

Related GEM.wiki articles

References

  1. "About National Power", National Power website, acccessed May 2011.
  2. "Fossil", National Power website,accessed May 2011.
  3. "Retirement of coal fired power stations, Interim report," Environment and Communications References Committee, The Senate, November 2016, Table 2.2
  4. 4.0 4.1 [https://reneweconomy.com.au/green-group-promises-relentless-fight-against-bid-to-convert-coal-plant-to-woody-biomass/ Green group wages war against renewed bid to convert coal plant to woody biomass], Renew Economy, March 17, 2023
  5. Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency,"Generation complexes eligible to receive Energy Security Fund cash payments", Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency website, July 9, 2012.
  6. Australian Government, "An overview of the Clean Energy Legislative Package", Clean Energy Future website, accessed January 2013.
  7. Energy Security Council, "About the Council", Energy Security Council website, accessed January 2013.
  8. This coal power plant is being reopened for blockchain mining, CNET, Apr. 11, 2018

External Articles