AGL Energy has sought to more than triple the output of its gas and diesel-fired Kwinana Swift power station south of Perth, in a submission to the state’s environmental regulator.
A proposal lodged with the Environmental Protection Authority outlines a plan by AGL, through its subsidiary Western Energy, to expand Kwinana Swift’s power output from 120 megawatts per annum to 370MW from 2029 in an expansion billed as K2.
AGL has proposed building as many as four new gas-powered turbine units at Kwinana, which can be fueled by natural gas, diesel, LNG, LPG or hydrogen and would generate a combined 250MW.
The current plant runs on four 30MW gas turbines.
AGL said it expected the construction of the new units to take between two and three years from approval – bringing new power supply online in the latter of the decade as the state pushes to ween its electricity grid of coal-fired generation.
The expanded Kwinana Swift would have a maximum project life of 47 years.
In its submission to regulators, AGL noted that the project was “aligned with state objectives for energy security in the transition from retiring coal powered electricity generation”.
AGL said it had the support of DEMIRS sub-department Energy Policy WA, which had deemed the project as “the most prospective of proposed gas projects” and a necessary part of the firming capacity required to reliably ease the state off coal and onto renewables.
“The proposal serves as a crucial stepping stone towards transitioning away from coal-fired power generation to a renewable energy future,” it wrote.
“This transition aligns with the objectives of the State Emissions Reduction Strategy … promoting an overall reduction in cumulative greenhouse gas emissions over time and facilitating the integration of renewable energy sources.”
The proposed project is forecast to produce an average 195,659 tonnes of scope one carbon dioxide per annum over the course of its life.
The cost of development is not known. AGL has been contacted for comment.
The Western Australian government had repeatedly endorsed gas as a firming fuel to support the electricity grid as it removes coal-fired generation from the network by the end of the decade – a transition Premier Roger Cook has previously conceded could be a “bumpy ride”.
In June last year, the Australian Energy Market Operator forecast a 391MW power shortfall emerging in the state’s grid in 2027-28, growing out to 2,880MW by 2033-34.
At the time, AEMO stressed the importance of investment in new generation and storage to meet demand and offset the retirement of coal from the grid.
“The K2 project would provide critical flexible firming capacity to the [Wholesale Electricity Market],” AGL wrote.
The application comes months after a bid to rapidly expand the Worley-operated Kemerton gas peaking plant was approved by former environment minister Reece Whitby.
A significant expansion at Kwinana Swift would add another project to a busy pipeline in the area, where industrial ambition has not always matched with reality over the past year.
The EPA has invited public comment on AGL's proposal, with submissions closing May 9.
