THE Kemerton power station near Bunbury has received an upgrade that will allow it to increase output by more than 40 megawatts in summer while reducing its carbon footprint. Operator Transfield Services said the upgrade, which was completed ahead of schedule and under budget, now allowed the station to operate at more than 300MW during summer. The station, which can run on either gas or liquid fuel, recently produced its maximum cool weather performance of 344MW to meet a surge in winter demand. Transfield said the upgrade involved fitting the station with wet compression technology that made the compressor more efficient and made more power available to generate electricity. The technology also reduced greenhouse gas emissions by up to four tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per hour of operation. “Transfield has delivered a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution to Western Australia’s increasing energy needs. Another 10,000 households are benefiting since this upgrade,” Verve Energy managing director Shirley In’t Veld said. Kemerton services the South West Interconnected System from Kalbarri in the north, east to Kalgoorlie and south to Albany. Transfield delivered the upgrade as manager, operator and maintainer of the power station for Transfield Services Infrastructure Fund.