Northern Power Station (South Australia)

Northern Power Station
Location of Northern Power Station
Country	Australia
Location	Port Paterson, South Australia
Coordinates	32°32′34″S 137°47′15″E / 32.5429°S 137.7874°E / -32.5429; 137.7874Coordinates: 32°32′34″S 137°47′15″E / 32.5429°S 137.7874°E / -32.5429; 137.7874
Commission date	1985
Operator(s)	Alinta Energy
Thermal power station
Primary fuel	Coal
Power generation
Units operational	2
Website alintaenergy.com.au/assets/generation/flinders/

Northern Power Station was located in the locality of Port Paterson in the Australian state of South Australia about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) south of the city centre of Port Augusta. It was coal powered with two 260 MW steam turbines that generated a total of 520 MW of electricity. It was operated and maintained by Alinta Energy and was commissioned in 1985. Northern received coal by rail from the Leigh Creek Coal Mine, 280 km to the north. The plant ceased electricity production in May 2016 and decommissioning is underway.

Carbon Monitoring for Action estimated that this power station emitted 3.62 million tonnes of greenhouse gases each year as a result of burning coal. Other air-borne emissions were reported annually to the National Pollution Inventory. As of 2012-13, from greatest to smallest quantity, airborne emissions included: sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, hydrochloric acid, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, manganese, mercury, chromium, boron, chlorine, zinc, nickel, copper, lead and others.