Clarke Energy, GE’s authorised distributor of Jenbacher gas engines, is supplying three of GE’s high-efficiency Jenbacher gas engines to Territory Generation for an upgrade at its existing Tennant Creek Power Station.
Earlier this month, Clarke Energy announced it also is supplying 10 of its Jenbacher J624 gas engines to upgrade Territory Generation’s Owen Springs Power Station in Alice Springs. The two projects are part of the Northern Territory Government of Australia’s A$100 million investment in Central Australia.
Clarke Energy will supply and install three of GE’s high-efficiency, gas-fired, spark ignition Jenbacher J612 reciprocating gas engines, which will be located adjacent to the existing plant. This project, which is supporting an electricity cost-reduction drive, will provide an electrical output of 7.5MW, helping increase the reliability and efficiency of power supplies and further reduce electricity costs in the Tennant Creek Township, which services communities as far as Ali Curung, which is 150km south of Tennant Creek.
“The Tennant Creek Power Station currently is made up of 20-40-year-old units that do not meet the requirements of the Tennant Creek load,” Clarke Energy managing director Greg Columbus said.
“After a rigorous government tender process, we are pleased to be chosen once again to provide GE’s reliable, high-efficiency Jenbacher gas engine technology to help Territory Generation meet new government reforms for cost reduction by upgrading its Tennant Creek Power Station.”
In 2014, the Northern Territory Parliament of Australia implemented key reforms within the government-owned power generation authority. An outcome of the reform process was greater contestability to reduce the historically high cost of electricity paid by the Northern Territorians.
“This upgrade will help us increase the reliability and efficiency of the power supply at the Tennant Creek Power Station, thereby helping to reduce electricity prices,” Chief Minister Adam Giles said.
“By implementing GE’s proven technology deployed by Clarke Energy, we also will see a reduction in noise and emissions and a significant reduction in maintenance and operating costs.”
The fundamental design of GE’s gas engines provides numerous benefits. These include increased operational efficiency, greater reliability, reduced maintenance costs and enhanced capability to operate on gases with lower calorific value or unusual composition such as coal seam and coal mine methane gas, biogas, landfill gas, flare gas, coke oven gas and syngas from gasification processes.
Territory Generation is the largest electricity producer in the Northern Territory, owning 582MW of installed capacity and contracting an additional 40MW from independent power producers for supply to its customers.
