Bunnerong Power Station | |
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Boys fishing with Bunnerong 'A' Power Station in the background.
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Country | Australia |
Location | Matraville, New South Wales |
Coordinates | 33°58′17″S 151°13′38″E / 33.97139°S 151.22722°ECoordinates: 33°58′17″S 151°13′38″E / 33.97139°S 151.22722°E |
Status | Demolished 1987 |
Commission date | 1929 |
Decommission date | 1975 |
Owner(s) | Municipal Council of Sydney, Electricity Department Sydney County Council Electricity Commission of NSW |
Thermal power station | |
Primary fuel | high-grade, solid black coal |
Type | Steam Turbine |
Power generation | |
Units operational |
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Nameplate capacity | 375 MW |
Bunnerong Power Station is a demolished former coal-powered electric power station in the south-eastern Sydney suburb of Matraville, New South Wales, Australia. When the last generating units were commissioned, it was the largest power station in the southern hemisphere, with a capacity of 375 megawatts (MW) from eleven turbo-alternators. It was able to supply up to one third of the state's electricity needs at the time. It remained the most powerful until the completion of Vales Point Power Station in 1966.
In 1924, the 117 acre site for the power station was chosen. The station was located on Bunnerong Road in Matraville.
Bunnerong was originally built with eighteen cross drum boilers from Babcock & Wilcox Ltd (UK), supplying steam at 350 psi (2,400 kPa) and 700 °F (371 °C), with each boiler producing 100,000 lb/h (45,000 kg/h) of steam. Six 25 megawatt (MW) Metropolitan-Vickers two-cylinder turbo-alternators were built between 1926 and 1930 by the Electricity Department of the Municipal Council of Sydney, one of the two main authorities responsible for electricity generation at the time. The first turbo-alternator commenced operation in January 1929, and the sixth in January 1930. Current was generated at 11 kilovolts (kV) and stepped up to 33 kV for transmission. With a capacity of 150 MW, Bunnerong was the largest power station in New South Wales. A seventh 25 MW unit was brought into use in September 1937, expanding capacity to 175 MW. This original installation was later known as Bunnerong 'A' Station.
Bunnerong 'B' Station began operation in 1939, with the commissioning of a 3-stage 50 MW turbo-alternator(No8) supplied by C.A. Parsons and Company. A second 50 MW turbine(No9) followed in 1941, bringing the capacity of Bunnerong to 275 MW. Bunnerong 'B' Boilerhouse had four Babcock & Wilcox pulverized fuel boilers, each produced 300,000lbs/hr of steam at 600psi. In 1949, two oil fired, Velox boilers from Gibson, Battle & Co Pty Ltd of Sydney were added. Each could produce an additional 165,000lbs/hr of steam at 600PSI and 825degF. Being a range type station these Velox boilers could supply steam to either A or B stations.