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Australia's only geothermal power station is in Birdsville, Queensland,
approximately 1600km west of Brisbane, bordering South Australia and
on the edge of the Simpson Desert.
Hot water at approximately 99oC at Birdsville is brought 1200m
from underground to the surface by a bore drilled in 1961. This
was done to supply a permanent water supply for Birdsville. Electricity
generation was a bonus.
Initially, only the water pressure was used to generate electricity
by turning an 8kW hydro turbine. In the 1970s the hydro turbine
was replaced by diesel engines and generators.
The geothermal plant was constructed in the 1990s but it was closed
after a few years because of changes in environmental regulations.
In the early 2000s Ergon Energy, in conjunction with Enreco Pty
Ltd and the Queensland Sustainable Energy Innovation Fund (QSEIF),
upgraded the plant. It has been operational ever since, except for
a period of a year when major works were undertaken.
Click
here to download a fact sheet (184KB) with more details on the
Birdsville geothermal power station.
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