Country Australia Status Baseload Combined cycle? No Commission date 1978 | Phone +61 2 4352 6111 Units operational 2 Nameplate capacity 1320 MW | |
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Owner(s) Sunset Power International Similar | ||
Vales Point Power Station is one of two coal fired power stations on the shores of Lake Macquarie, New South Wales. Vales Point is located on the southern shore of the lake, near the township of Mannering Park. It has two steam turbines, with a total generating capacity of 1,320 MW of electricity.
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Vales Point was the first major power station in New South Wales to be located near its fuel source (coal).
The station was sold to Sunset Power International for $1 million in November 2015.
A station
Vales Point was originally equipped with three turbo-alternators of 200 MW supplied by the English Electric Co. (unit nos. 1 to 3) and one of 275 MW supplied by Associated Electrical Industries (unit no. 4), for a total of 875 MW. The first two units were completed in 1963, and the third in 1964. Unit no. 4 was brought into use in 1966. In order to supply coal to the station, three mines were opened; Chain Valley Colliery, Newvale No.1 Colliery and Wyee State Mine. These four units were known as 'A' Station, its capacity of 875 MW being the highest in New South Wales at the time. Vales Point 'A' Station was decommissioned in 1989. The turbines were removed in 1997; the boilers and buildings were demolished between 2011–14.
B station
In 1978, two Toshiba 660 MW units were added, becoming "B" Station. The combined capacity of 2195 MW made Vales Point the largest power station in Australia at the time. The Toshiba 660 MW turbo-alternator became the standard in New South Wales, with similar units later being installed at Eraring, Bayswater and Mount Piper.
Vales Point uses salt water from Lake Macquarie for cooling. The coal for Vales Point is delivered by conveyor and a balloon loop connection to the Main Northern railway line between Wyee and Morisset.
Carbon Monitoring for Action estimates this power station emits 9.32 million tonnes of greenhouse gases each year as a result of burning coal.
In popular culture
Vales Point Power Station was used as the location for the Midnight Oil US Forces music video.