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EnergyAustralia has started running its Tallawarra B gas plant in the Illawarra but the energy retailer has guarded enthusiasm about securing a green hydrogen supply chain by 2025.
The 320-megawatt open cycle gas turbine, a $300 million investment, was constructed with partner GE Vernova next to Tallawarra A.
Tallawarra B is the first gas station to be built in New South Wales in a decade and features the largest turbine engine in Australia, manufactured in the United States.
EnergyAustralia chief executive Mark Collette said the high speed turbine was critical to firming capacity when renewables were not generating at high levels.
"Tallawarra B was built as a fast start gas turbine, it's 320 megawatts can come online at full load in 30 minutes," Mr Collette said.
"And that is providing enough power for 180,000 households in NSW during times of peak demand in summer and in winter.
"With these two machines we are building the firming capacity of the future that enables coal to retire."
The project had several challenges, including the collapse of contractor Clough and extended periods of wet weather during construction.
It is going through a final round of commissioning this week.
It has already generated 240 megawatts of power that has been supplied to the grid.
Hopes for green hydrogen
The project also had the support of $5 million from the federal government and $78 million from the New South Wales government, with the state money committed as part of the project's green hydrogen promise.
The state government said in 2021 EnergyAustralia would buy enough green hydrogen equivalent to more than 5 per cent of the plant's fuel use from 2025, which equated to 200,000 kilograms of green hydrogen per year.
Mr Collette said the green hydrogen time line would depend on the market supply.
"We would like there to be a green hydrogen supply chain by 2025, we know that is not there yet," he said.
"Our role is to create the demand through both of these power stations."
Mr Collette said the gain for community came through supporting the transition away from coal.
"So a very big role for Tallawarra B is to step into creation before the next round of coal-fired power stations close and that is a benefit that all tax payers receive."
Plume safety solution
The project has also had manage a way to disperse the plume from its stack without impacting the nearby Shellharbour Airport.
Project director Ian Black said a 54 tonne, $13.5 million disc was engineered to disperse the gases and meet the standard expected by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).
"The lid on the top stops the plume going up, the jets are pointed out sideways, where it mixes with other air and that results in a much lower velocity," he said.
Mr Black said the dispersal mechanism had been modelled against three different weather scenarios, cold and still, changing wind velocity at elevation and a hypothetical wind and temperature that had not been experienced before.
"We are well under peak velocity set by CASA at all elevations above 700 feet," he said.
He said lights would flash on the tower to alert aviation users when the turbine was running.
EnergyAustralia said Tallawarra A would also undergo a $90 million upgrade from 440 to 480 megawatts, incorporating 37 per cent hydrogen.
"Our ambition is to create enough demand to kick start a hydrogen industry in this region," Mr Collette said.
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