WA's newest power generation plant featuring cogeneration technology officially opened

6/7/99
Western Australia's newest power generation plant, featuring a world's first in cogeneration technology, has been officially opened today by Energy Minister Colin Barnett.
Costing about $23 million, the plant has been built to generate electricity and steam for Tiwest's titanium dioxide facility in Kwinana. It was jointly developed by Tiwest and Western Power and is the first cogeneration plant to be fully engineered in Australia.
Each year the plant will produce 37 megawatts of electricity and around 175,000 tonnes of steam which will be used in the production of titanium oxide pigment, exported around the world by the Tiwest Joint Venture.
Mr Barnett said the control system developed for the project included a unique feature known as islanding capability, which can seamlessly isolate and reconnect with the main power grid supply to protect Tiwest from any external fluctuation or interruptions.
Tiwest's facility must be protected from fluctuations in power supply to prevent plant damage and loss of product.
"This cogeneration plant produces clear commercial benefits for Tiwest by generating both electricity and steam from the same plant, while being particularly innovative in its design to cater specifically for power sensitivities of the titanium dioxide facility," Mr Barnett said.
"The plant will also support a proposed expansion of Tiwest's operations in the future which in turn will increase the State's annual exports of titanium dioxide by around $200 million."
Mr Barnett said WA local companies had received between $4 and $6 million worth of local contracts during construction, which in turn created up to 200 jobs.
The cogeneration plant is one of 20 power stations to be completed by the private sector since 1995, when the State Government began implementing its energy sector reform initiatives.
"While Western Power remains the primary generator of electricity in WA, there has been a 15 per cent increase in power generation by the private sector since 1994," Mr Barnett said.
"Such private investment includes the $310 million Pilbara Energy Project, the $450 million Goldfields Gas Pipeline and the $150 million Edison Mission Energy's cogeneration plant."
Mr Barnett congratulated Western Power and Tiwest on their initiative to join together to develop the cogeneration plant.
He said that compared to conventional methods of generating steam and electricity, cogeneration was significantly more energy efficient.
"It has lower nitrogen, sulphur dioxide and particulate emissions than a coal-fired boiler generating the same amount of energy," Mr Barnett said.
"It is estimated the cogeneration facility will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 150,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum."
Media contact: Justine Whittome, (08) 9222 9699