One of Australia’s biggest renewables developers consults on one of country’s biggest new gas plants

Plans for what could be one of the nation’s biggest new gas plants have joined the queue for federal environmental approval, as part of what is being described as a “multi‑stage development” to deliver new firming, renewables generation capacity and transmission infrastructure in Queensland.

The up to 850 megawatt (MW) Allawah Gas Power Generator is being proposed for development in Queensland’s Banana Shire by CPC Energy, a standalone energy developer spun out of one of Australia’s biggest cattle producers, Consolidated Pastoral Company.

But in an interesting twist, CPC Energy is developing the project in consultation with one of Australia’s biggest renewable energy outfits.

Renewable Energy Partners is listed on the EPBC documents as the referring party for the gas project, which in its first stage would comprise a gas turbine power station, sized to accommodate either open‑cycle or combined‑cycle configuration, with a generation capacity of up to 850 MW.

The 100 per cent Australian-owned Renewable Energy Partners (REP) is, as its name suggests, best known for its wind, solar and battery storage projects.

These include the recently unveiled Bogunda Energy Hub, which proposes to install up to 850 MW of wind, 500 MW of solar and a 500 MW, four-hour battery in Queensland’s North West Minerals Province.

Other notable projects in its portfolio include the huge 1,000 MW Lake Dalrymple wind farm, proposed for around 60 km west of Collinsville, also in Queensland, and the 800 MW Chahpingah wind farm proposed for Queensland’s South Burnett Region, around 40 km west of Kingaroy.

According to the EPBC documents, the Allawah gas plant is part of the first phase of the broader Allawah Energy Hub Project, which is said to comprise “several integrated components that will be delivered progressively as technical, environmental and commercial inputs are finalised.”

“The purpose of the proposed action is to provide flexible, fast-start dispatchable firming capacity to support electricity system reliability, enable increased integration and utilisation of renewable energy, and assist in the orderly transition away from coal-fired generation,” the referral says.

Phase one of the Hub involves construction and operation of the new gas-fired electricity generation facility and associated high voltage switching infrastructure.

CPC Energy proposes installing up to three heavy‑duty open‑cycle gas turbines, designed for retrofit to combined‑cycle or closed‑cycle configuration, including potential installation of associated infrastructure and clutches to support system strength, on 1,384 hectares of pastoral land.

“A high‑voltage switching station to connect the facility to the transmission network [and] supporting infrastructure required for safe, reliable and compliant operation of the generation facility,” which the documents say will primarily be fuelled by natural gas.

“Provision may also be made for alternative fuels for emergency or backup use in the event of gas supply interruption,” the plans say.

The plans also stress that subsequent EPBC Act referrals will be prepared for the gas pipeline and transmission line infrastructure required to supply fuel to the gas plant and export electricity to the broader network.

“These linear infrastructure elements are currently undergoing detailed route investigations to address environmental, ecological, land access and constructability constraints,” the documents say.

CPC Energy says the final design, timing and delivery will depend on further research and discussions with landholders, regulators and network service providers, as well as commercial counterparties.

REP is not the only Australian renewable energy-focused company to be side-stepping into gas, with Squadron Energy building a much smaller 64 MW Dubbo Firming Power Station, a dual gas generation facility described as “hydrogen ready”, and whose plans also include potential for a 20 MW green hydrogen electrolyser.

Squadron is also proposing to build a mid-sized 300-400 MW “gas-firming plant” in NSW’s Illawarra region, at Unanderra.

*A previous version of this article mistakenly said the Allawah Gas Power Generator was being developed by Renewable Energy Partners. It has been corrected to show that the project is being developed by its owner, CPC Energy, in consultation with REP.

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