WA energy transition: Alinta proposes big gas power station in Mid West as coal closure looms

Alinta Energy is seeking environmental approval for a major gas power plant in the Mid West that will be big enough to supply 400,000 WA homes.

The company’s plans for Cataby Power Station were made available for public comment by the Environmental Protection Authority on Wednesday morning.

It comes as the State Government and private investors scramble to prepare WA’s main grid for the closure of taxpayer-owned coal generators by 2030.

Alinta’s proposed facility near Dandaragan would have 400 megawatts capacity, which the company said was enough to cover about 10 per cent of peak demand.

That will be split between a major gas turbine and 10 smaller, more flexible peaking units that can quickly switch on and off. It would produce about 42 million tonnes of carbon emissions over the project’s life.

Alinta’s executive director of merchant energy Ken Woolley recently said the power station would “play a critical role in backing up renewables and maintaining grid stability”.

“It will bridge gaps in renewables production, ensuring a reliable electricity supply for homes and businesses,” he said.

The West Australian first revealed the power station was in planning for the Mid West early in 2024 and the proposal follows AGL Energy’s expansion of the Kwinana Swift gas generator, which started construction in June.

Alinta was bought out by Singapore’s Sembcorp in a deal that closed last month. The company also announced a deal to buy 30 petajoules of gas from LNG Japan Corporation’s stake in the under-construction Scarborough project until the early 2030s.