An Overview of a Combined Cycle Power Plant:

Darling Downs Power Plant, Queensland, Australia

Tanvir Khan Nazmul Hasan K. M. Nafis Noor
Department of Electrical & Electronic Department of Electrical & Electronic Department of Electrical & Electronic
Engineering Engineering Engineering
East West university East West university East West university
Dhaka, Bangladesh Dhaka, Bangladesh Dhaka, Bangladesh
2017-1-80-048@std.ewubd.edu 2017-1-80-029@std.ewubd.edu 2017-1-80-018@std.ewubd.edu

Abstract—This paper is written on ‘Darling Downs Power

Station’ which is the largest gas fired combined cycle gas E. Generation Process
turbine power station of Australia. This paper includes The generation process is divided into two parts. Fuel
history, generation process, area covered, capacity, plant gas and compressed air mixture flows through a combustion
economy and future expansion of the plant. chamber which produces high temperature high pressure
steam which runs the gas turbines. Heated gas from
Keywords—combined cycle, grid, natural gas, economics, generator then flows through three boilers to produce steam
carbon emission, tariff, turbine, boiler, generator which also takes part in electricity production. The steam is
I. INTRODUCTION condensed then again sent to the boilers [1].
Darling Downs is a 630 MW gas fired combined cycle F. Fuel
power plant situated in the Darling Downs region in Natural gas is supplied from coal seam gas (CSG)
Queensland, Australia. At first the power plant project was reserves in Roma and Chinchilla region in Queensland. Gas
owned by Sun Retail then the project was given to Origin is supplied via a 205 km long pipeline to the power station
Energy in February, 2007 [1]. The whole project costed from the coal seam gas fields [1].
about $1bn. The construction works began in August, 2007
and the first unit went to production in December, 2009. All G. Grid Connection
the units of the plant went to production in July, 2010. The Darling Downs station is connected to the Braemer
power plant can supply power to 4,00,000 houses in substation which steps up the voltage and supplies to the 275
Queensland. In respect of carbon emission, it is one of the KV national power lines [1].
cleanest power plants in Australia [1].
H. Technical Details
II. PLANT DETAILS  Installed capacity: 630 MW
A. Type of Power Plant  Rated capacity of each gas turbine: 120 MW
 Rated capacity of steam turbine: 270 MW
Darling Downs is a 630 MW gas fired combined cycle
Generator details:
power plant. It is the largest of its type in Australia. It is also
the cleanest base station in Australia because it emits less  Output power: 345000 KVA [3]
carbon than other plants [2].  Machine code: 324 [3]
 Speed: 3000 RPM [3]
B. Units and Capacity  Volts: 15750 [3]
It has 4 units comprised of one 270 MW steam turbine  Amps: 12646 [3]
and three 120 MW three frame 9E gas turbines [1].  Power factor: 0.85 [3]
C. Buldings and Area  Spec: 600034-1, & 3 [3]
The largest building of the complex is the turbine  Insulation class: F [3]
building which is divided into steam turbine section and gas I. Economics
turbine section. The steam turbine section is comprised of
three levels. The gas turbine part is a single level section of Origin Energy the owner of the power plant maintains
20m height. The area of the turbine building is 10,500 the following tariffs in Queensland which are shown in
square meters [2]. TABLE I.

D. Contractors
TABLE I: Tariff Wise Charges (incl. GST) followed by Origin Energy
 Owner: Origin Energy [1] in Queensland [4]
Tariff Type Peak Usage Charges Supply Charges
 Engineering construction and balance of plant (c/KWh) (c/day)
contractor: CH2M Hill [1] TARIFF11 23.935 111.498
 Turbines and boilers: General Electric [1] TARIFF1131 23.935 111.498
TARIFF1133 23.935 111.498
 Gas pipeline project management: OSD [1] T113133 23.935 111.498
 Water treatment system: AVANTech [1] TARIFF12 30.979 116.061
 Environmental services: Ecofund Queensland [1] Solar Meter Charge - 6.700
 Other contractors: Energen, FlexiHire, Agility
Project Logistics, Force Access [1]
J. Workforce
The power plant and the gas pipeline construction
created 440 jobs and during the full operation of the plant it
has the scope of 55 jobs [5].
K. Environmental Aspects
Though Darling Downs is the largest combined cycle
power plant in Australia, it is one of the least carbon
emitting plant of its type. It produces 20% less greenhouse
gas than a typical power plant [2]. A typical coal fired
station consumes about 8000 megalitres of water where
Darling Downs needs 200 megalitres per year [5]. This plant
consumes 3% less water than a conventional water cooled
coal fired station of same capacity as it uses air cooled
condensers [5]. The power plant is powered by coal seam
gas which is also a clean energy source [5].
L. Future Expansion
The owner company Origin Energy has acquired 77
hectare of land adjacent to the power plant for the future
expansion of the plant [6].
III. CONCLUSION
Darling Downs is one of the most important power
stations in Australia in terms of electricity production. Its
huge power production capability, positive environmental
impacts, cost efficiency makes it a unique of its kind. The
plant brings a range of other benefits, not only just
electricity production.
REFERENCES
[1] ‘Darling Downs Power Station’, Power Technology | Energy
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[2] ‘Darling Downs Power Station’, NDY.

https://ndy.com/project/darling-downs-power-station
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[3] ‘NRG Global Power · New Power Plant Darling Downs

Queensland’. https://nrgglobalpower.com.au/projects/new-
power-plant-darling-downs-queensland (accessed Sep. 18,
2020).

[4] ‘Current residential electricity & gas tariffs’, Origin Energy,

Sydney, QLD, Australia, 2020, pp. 20-21.

[5] ‘Darling Downs – Australia’s biggest combined-cycle

power station’, Oil & Gas Today, Dec. 06, 2019.
https://www.oilandgastoday.com.au/darling-downs-
australias-biggest-combined-cycle-power-station/ (accessed
Sep. 18, 2020).

[6] ‘Darling Downs Power Station now fully commissioned’,

Asian Power. https://asian-power.com/project/news/darling-
downs-power-station-now-fully-commissioned (accessed
Sep. 18, 2020).