Bolivar identified as permanent location for publicly-owned power plant

PRESS RELEASE

The State Government has identified Bolivar as the permanent location for South Australia’s publicly-owned power plant, which is set to be operational at the site from summer 2019-20.

The nine GE TM2500 aero-derivative units will be located at the southern end of the Bolivar Waste Water Treatment Plant, adjacent the Moomba to Adelaide gas transmission pipeline and the SEA Gas transmission pipeline, as well as ElectraNet’s 275kV electricity transmission network.

As with the temporary sites, the state-owned power plant at the permanent location will be required to pass all relevant environmental and noise level requirements.

Local residents will be consulted throughout that testing process.

The publicly-owned gas power plant is essential to undoing the damage caused by the privatisation of ETSA by the previous Liberal Government and key to taking back control of South Australia’s power grid.

Background

The State Government announced the establishment of a publicly-owned power plant in March 2017 as part of its energy plan.

The process was streamlined when APR Energy won the tender to supply nine GE TM2500 aero-derivative hybrid units to be leased and installed before summer 2017 at two temporary locations operating on diesel, before being purchased and installed at a single permanent location operating on gas.

The power plant has been operational from November 2017 at Lonsdale and Elizabeth, ready to provide emergency back-up power if needed for the 2017-18 summer.

The State-Government then exercised its option to purchase the power plant in late November, with Premier Jay Weatherill saying the plant had to be protected from privatisation from any future Liberal Government.