First dual-fuel gas and hydrogen plant opens in Australia

EnergyAustralia has announced the opening of the Tallawarra B Power Station, in New South Wales, Australia.

Tallawarra B Power Station is powered by GE Vernova’s 9F.05 gas turbine, and according to a company statement, marks the first dual-fuel capable natural gas/hydrogen power plant in commercial operation in Australia.

EnergyAustralia is expected to operate on a blend of 5% (by volume) green hydrogen and natural gas in 2025 subject to the development of a hydrogen manufacturing industry of an appropriate size and scale.

Tallawarra B Power Station can deliver up to 320MW of dispatchable power to strengthen the reliability of the energy grid.

Following the closure of the Liddell coal-fired 1,680MW plant located in the Hunter Valley region after 52 years of operation in April 2023, the Tallawara B plant will deliver capacity to partially replace the energy that is no longer produced by the Liddell coal-fired plant.

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In addition, Tallawara B can provide high operational flexibility needed during peak demand periods.

“Tallawarra B is the first gas-fired power station built in New South Wales in over 10 years. The new station will play a vital role in the energy transition, providing flexible and reliable energy during periods of peak demand or low supply. Tallawarra B enables and complements more renewables entering the system as coal-fired power stations retire,” said Mark Collette, managing director of EnergyAustralia.

“Gas will continue to play a vital role firming renewables in the energy transition. We are positioning both Tallawarra stations to play a long-term role in New South Wales’ energy future and our own plans to achieve net zero by 2050. Our ambition is for green hydrogen to enable zero emissions flexibility capacity at Tallawarra. We are already investing to enable hydrogen usage at Tallawarra.

"In 2024, we are investing in an upgrade of Tallawarra A which will improve the capacity and efficiency of the station, while also enabling the use of up to 30% hydrogen as a fuel when it is available commercially”.

Tallawarra B Power Station is located next to EnergyAustralia’s existing Tallawarra A 435MW gas plant, in Yallah on the western shore of Lake Illawarra in the State of NSW.

For this project, GE Vernova also provided an A78 generator, an exhaust stack with an innovate Plume Dispersion Device, a generator step-up transformer, a Mark Vie control system and gas turbine accessories packaged in modules for the project, which reduced on-site installation work while offering simpler and faster serviceability for the plant operator.

GE has been present in Australia for more than 120 years. In Australia, GE Vernova has more than 140 gas turbines in operation helping to address demanding local requirements with fast start-up, lower total cost of ownership, and increased flexibility.