ERM Power and Arrow Energy to officially open the 450MW Braemar 2 power station

Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Stirling Hinchliffe will officially open the Braemar 2 power station on Tuesday 25 August.

The 450MW power station, near Dalby in southern Queensland, consists of three 150MW open-cycle, gas-fired generation units and 110km high-pressure pipeline network. It will be managed by ERM Power and supplied with coal seam gas from Arrow Energy’s nearby fields.

ERM Power chairman Trevor St Baker said it would provide three per cent of the combined electricity requirements of Queensland and New South Wales.

“The plant will have the capacity to operate as a peaking, shoulder, or base-load generator by making use of its large gas storage capacity and long-term gas supply contracts,” Mr St Baker said.

“Also, by using cleaner burning coal seam gas as a fuel source instead of coal, the power station addresses the increased demand for lower carbon electricity in Australia’s eastern states.’’

Braemar 2 is located 40km southwest of Dalby in Queensland, adjacent to the QLD-NSW high voltage transmission Interconnector and the Powerlink 320/275kV Substation.

It is estimated the construction project brought $60 million into the local area, greatly increasing employment opportunities in the industrial sector and giving the local economy a much needed boost.

“Construction took just 20 months and cost $546 million, safely delivering the project on time and under budget,” Mr St Baker said.

“The project has set the highest standards in the development and delivery of an open-cycle power plant in Australia.’’

ERM Power is the largest privately owned energy company in Australia, adding more than 2,000MW cumulatively to the nation’s electricity grid since 2006.

Arrow now has available net generation capacity of 375MW through Braemar 2, Townsville and Daandine power stations, which furthers its strategic push into downstream margin-enhancing projects.