Australian gentailer ENGIE is converting one of the two closed-cycle gas turbines at the 489MW Pelican Point Power Station in Adelaide, South Australia, to an open-cycle turbine, allowing the power station to start and ramp up more quickly, and better support renewable energy.
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This is the latest upgrade to the nearly 25-year-old power station to make it better suited to providing gas peaking power in the mornings or evenings, supporting high levels of solar power in South Australia during the day.
While the transition to renewables will see gas largely phased out over the coming years, ENGIE is committed to keeping its existing assets running flexibly and reliably.
As part of the upgrades to Pelican Point Gas Power Station in Outer Harbour, huge sections are being lifted into place and installed as a 40m high bypass stack is built.
Some of these sections weigh roughly 30 tonnes—equivalent to the weight of two-and-a- half Adelaide buses—and were placed by a 700-tonne crane, which is one of only a few in the country.
ENGIE managing director of generation Australia Liam Ellis said, “Gas-fired power stations are critical to the energy transition, to back up renewables and help keep the lights on.
“These works will allow the gas power station to start up quicker. We’re keeping a 25-year-old power station at the leading edge of flexibility to better support high levels of solar power in South Australia during the day.”
ENGIE’s energy footprint in South Australia includes three gas peaking power stations, including the 489MW Pelican Point Power Station in Outer Harbor, and two operating wind farms—the 119MW Willogoleche Wind Farm near Hallet and the 46MW Canunda Wind Farm in the state’s south-west.
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ENGIE was recently awarded CIS support from the federal government for an expansion of the Willogoleche Wind Farm.
