AGL has put plans for its proposed $400 million Newcastle gas-fired power station at Tomago on public exhibition.
In April 2018, AGL announced an estimated $400 million investment to develop a 250 MW gas-fired power station in the Newcastle region close to the existing Newcastle Gas Storage Facility in Tomago, New South Wales.
The power station will comprise either reciprocating engines and/or gas turbines, fast start operation with the primary role of providing firming capacity to the energy market. The station, set to be operational by the end of 2022, will have dual-fuel capability.
While gas is the preferred fuel source, the Newcastle Power Station would be able to operate on diesel fuel in the event of a gas supply disruption or when the power station is required to operate for extended hours.
The station will also be capable of operating at full capacity within minutes, providing a rapid response to changes in renewable generation supply.
The key components of the proposed area will also include gas pipelines that store gas to connect the NPS to existing supply sources and AGL’s Newcastle Gas Storage Facility via AGL’s existing pipeline PL42.
New gas storage pipeline, passing under Old Punt Road to the north east of the NPS site and then traversing the cleared land to the NGSF. The gas storage pipeline would require up to five kilometres of pipeline to provide the required gas storage capacity.
It will also feature electricity transmission lines to transfer the electricity produced by the NPS to the national electricity network.
The electricity transmission line is proposed to be a new high voltage 132kV electricity transmission line that would be required to connect the proposed power station to the TranGrind Tomago 132kV switching station.
The switching station would transfer the electricity produced at the power station to the regional electricity transmission system.
Where the transmission line passes over land not owned by AGL or TransGrid, a new cleared easement would be established and parallel to the TransGrid easements the power station connection line easement would be contiguous with the adjacent TransGrid easement.
The transmission line from the TransGrid Tomago 132kV switching station would require crossing existing 132kV transmission lines and Old Punt Road.
However, if the crossings aren’t able to be achieved, part or all of the transmission line may need to be placed underground.