Australian power and gas utility Origin Energy has begun commercial operations of its 640MW gas-fired Uranquinty power station in New South Wales.
According to Origin, it had acquired the Uranquinty power station for A$700 million from Babcock and Brown Power. In line with its plan, all four of the station’s 160MW open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT) units are now on line.
As part of the project, two 132kV transmission lines adjacent to the site have been re-constructed within existing easements from the power station to the Wagga Wagga substation.
The company said that the Uranquinty power station will employ eight people to operate the facility. As many as 430 people were already employed on site during construction, 90 of these from the local area around Wagga Wagga in New South Wales.
Andrew Stock, Origin’s executive general manager for major development projects, said: “The Uranquinty power station will play a major role in meeting New South Wales’s power needs. Gas-fired plant emits comparatively fewer emissions than coal and has a large role to play in moving Australia toward a lower-carbon future.”
Origin Energy is Australasia’s energy company focused on gas and oil exploration and production, power generation and energy retailing. It claims to be a developer of gas fired electricity generation in Australia and wholesaler and retailer of energy.