
Callide Power Station

Callide Power Station is located near Biloela, in Central Queensland, Australia. It is coal powered with eight steam turbines with a combined generation capacity of 1,720 MW of electricity. Callide A was commissioned in 1965, refurbished in 1998 and decommissioned in 2015/16. As of 2018, generation capacity was 1510 MW.
The coal for Callide comes from the nearby Callide Coalfields and water from the Awoonga dam and Stag Creek Pipeline.
Callide A.
At the end of 1962 approval was granted for a new power station near Biloela. Work commenced at the site in February 1963. The design of the plant based around separate generating units and a control room was a first for Queensland. It was also the first power station in Queensland to use dry cooling towers.
It had four 30 MW steam turbines, the first of which was operating by June 1965. From its commissioning a drought meant water restrictions at the station reduced output. The second set was expected to be operating by May 1966, but was lost at sea while being transported from England. A replacement unit arrived in June 1967. The third set was operating in October 1967 and the fourth in May 1969. The total cost of the project was A$28.7 million.
Callide A has been in storage since 2001, except for Unit 4 which is being used for the Callide Oxyfuel project.
The Callide Oxyfuel project was decommissioned in 2015/16 after demonstrating carbon capture technology for two years.
Callide B.
Following on from an aggressive construction program at Tarong Power Station, Callide B was commissioned in 1988 with two 350 MW steam turbines. The Hitachi machines are almost identical to those in Tarong and Stanwell.
In October 2019, Federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor announced that Callide B's originally planned 2038-39 closure was being brought forward to 2028.
Callide C.
The Callide Power Plant (a.k.a. Callide C) was commissioned in 2001 with two 405 MW advanced cycle steam turbines. Callide C uses a more efficient "supercritical" boiler technology to burn coal to generate electricity.
Carbon Monitoring for Action estimates this power station emits 5.73 million tonnes of greenhouse gases each year as a result of burning coal. The Australian Government introduced a Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme in 2011 to help combat climate change, intended to reduce emissions from power stations. The scheme was replaced in 2014 by a 'direct action' program. The National Pollutant Inventory provides details of other pollutant emissions, but, as at 23 November 2008, not CO2.