Energy Minister Peter Collier visited Karratha earlier today to mark the start of construction of the most efficient gas-fired power station on the Pilbara's North West Interconnected System (NWIS).
The Karratha Power Station would be built next to Horizon Power's head office on land owned by the corporation and adjacent to its 132KV substation, providing a direct link into the local network.
The station would be built, owned and operated by Canadian Power company ATCO Power and would supply electricity to residential and business consumers in the NWIS under a long-term contract with Horizon Power.
The power station, which would bring added security to the NWIS, would be built to an initial capacity of 86MW but has been designed for this to be increased to meet the growing needs of the region.
The minister said the power station would create employment opportunities for the construction workforce and would be a long term contributor to the community.
"This project will be a central component of the ongoing development of the region and its continuing contribution to the State," said Mr Collier.
Power is scheduled to be produced by February 2010, with the station operating at full capacity by April 1, 2010.
