Stanwell Corporation

Stanwell Corporation is a Queensland Government-owned corporation (GOC), the State's largest electricity generator producing more than a third of Queensland's energy needs. It's also one of the top three energy generators in Australia.

Stanwell owns and operates a portfolio of electricity generation assets in Queensland including two of the most efficient and reliable coal-fired power stations in Australia, being Stanwell Power Station in Rockhampton and Tarong North Power Station in the South Burnett region.

The company employs approximately 900 people across various sites in Queensland. The two government ministers responsible for Stanwell Corporation are the Treasurer, Minister for Energy and Home Ownership as well as the Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training.

Major assets

Major assets owned and operated by Stanwell include

* Stanwell Power Station
* Tarong Power Station
* Tarong North Power Station
* Meandu Mine
* Stanwell Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) (under construction)
* Tarong Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) (under construction)
* Wambo Wind Farm (50:50 joint venture with Cubico Sustainable Investments under construction)

On 31 October 2019, ownership of Stanwell's low and no emission power stations was transferred to CleanCo Queensland. This includes the gas-fired Swanbank E Power Station and the three Far North Queensland hydro facilities ( Kareeya, Barron Gorge and Koombooloomba). Windy Hill Wind Farm in Queensland and Toora Wind Farm in Victoria were owned by Stanwell but were sold to Transfield Services in 2007. The company also subsequently sold Emu Downs Wind Farm in Western Australia.

Following a review by the Treasurer of Queensland of the state's electricity sector in 2010, Tarong Energy was amalgamated into Stanwell Corporation on 1 July 2011.

The Mackay Gas Turbine was decommissioned in April 2021 and no longer supplies grid power to the National Electricity Market (NEM).

History

Stanwell was established as a corporation in 1997 and as a Queensland Government-owned corporation has had a history of owning and managing a wide range of generating assets including gas, pumped hydro and the first wind farm constructed in Queensland.

The Tarong power stations were commissioned between 1984-1986 and in 2024 Tarong Power Station and Meandu Mine celebrated 40 years of operation. Tarong is one of Australia's most efficient power stations supplying around 20 per cent of Queensland's energy needs.

Meandu Mine provides the coal to the Tarong power stations as its sole customer. Work first began on the mine in 1978 after the Queensland Government made the decision to go ahead with the construction of the adjacent Tarong Power Station. In 1984, the mine began regular deliveries to the power station and ownership of Meandu Mine was transferred to Stanwell from Tarong Energy in July 2011.

Stanwell Power Station was commissioned between 1993-1996 and celebrated 30 years of operation in 2023. The station supplies around 10 per cent of Queensland's energy needs and is one of the most efficient and automated subcritical coal-fired power stations in Australia.

Coal for the Stanwell Power Station comes mainly from the Curragh Coal Mine in Central Queensland, operated by Coronado, with supplementary coal from other Queensland producers as needed.

Management

Stanwell CEO Michael O'Rourke was appointed in 2021 following the departure of Richard van Breda. Paul Binsted has been Chair of the Board since 2020.

References

External links

Stanwell Corporation

{{EnergyQueensland

Government-owned companies of Queensland
Electric power companies of Australia
Energy in Queensland