Energy Efficiency
Alcoa believes energy efficiency has an important part to play in the solution to global climate change.
Alcoa and Alinta have partnered to develop cogeneration power plants at Alcoa’s refineries in Western Australia. The plants will provide power to WA consumers while providing the refineries with steam generated from waste heat, allowing some of the older boilers to be decommissioned.
Each cogeneration unit will supply 140 megawatts of power, enough to provide the power needs of 90,000 households. Energy will be supplied to WA households and businesses directly through the South-West grid.
Cogeneration is around 75 per cent energy efficient, compared with 25-50 per cent for other power plants operating in WA.
The first of two cogeneration plants at the Pinjarra refinery in Western Australia will be commissioned in February 2006. Construction of the second plant is expected by the end of 2006.
The combined effect of the Pinjarra efficiency upgrade and two cogeneration power stations at Pinjarra will improve the refinery’s greenhouse intensity by around 8.3 per cent.
In 2005, Alinta announced plans to build the first stage of a 351 MW cogeneration unit at Alcoa's Wagerup refinery.
Stage 1 will operate as a peaking power plant before a proposed Stage 2 conversion to cogeneration. Stage 1 is expected to be operational by October 2007.
Cogeneration plants at the Pinjarra and Wagerup refineries could save 1.6 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions when compared to coal fired electricity generation. This is equivalent to taking 320,000 vehicles off the road.
Alcoa is already the largest co generator of energy in Australia.
Media Release
 Cogeneration project launched
Joint Media Release by Alcoa and Alinta Ltd
Second cogeneration unit at Pinjarra
|
 |
Kwinana Energy Efficiency Review
go
Download information on Cogeneration
go
|
