'Turning point': Kurri Kurri gas plant fired up for the first time

The Advertiser

08-07-2025

The gas-powered Kurri Kurri station has fired up for the first time.
Snowy Hydro's Hunter Power Project team said they successfully ignited one of the station's two gas turbines and reached full speed late last week.
"First fire is a turning point in the power station's development that confirms the design, construction and cold commissioning of the turbine has been successful," Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes said.
The gas-fired project entered the national grid in March, two years after it was meant to begin operating.
The 660-megawatt plant was originally intended to be built in time for the closure of the Liddell coal-fired power station in April 2023.
In a statement, Snowy Hydro said the gas supply infrastructure was now complete with the station expected to reach full commercial operation the coming months.
They said the project had been impacted by 69 days of bad weather in 2025, which had caused delays.
The plant will only be used for about five per cent of the time, when electricity demand is high and renewable generation is limited.
"Every megawatt of capacity provided by Kurri Kurri enables three megawatts of renewable wind and solar to come online and replace increasingly unreliable coal generation," Mr Barnes said.
Snowy Hyrdo stated that the power station remained on track to be delivered within it's target of around $1.3 billion but in March the Newcastle Herald reported that costs could be closer to $2 billion.
On the eve of the 2022 federal election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, along with Hunter MPs, committed an additional $700 million towards a green hydrogen project at the plant.
Mr Albanese conceded in January that the green hydrogen vision had not gone to plan, however, he had not given up on eventually using green hydrogen in the plant.
He did not put a timeline on the project, but Mr Albanese confirmed the government's $700 million green hydrogen commitment remained.
The gas-powered Kurri Kurri station has fired up for the first time.
Snowy Hydro's Hunter Power Project team said they successfully ignited one of the station's two gas turbines and reached full speed late last week.
"First fire is a turning point in the power station's development that confirms the design, construction and cold commissioning of the turbine has been successful," Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes said.
The gas-fired project entered the national grid in March, two years after it was meant to begin operating.
The 660-megawatt plant was originally intended to be built in time for the closure of the Liddell coal-fired power station in April 2023.
In a statement, Snowy Hydro said the gas supply infrastructure was now complete with the station expected to reach full commercial operation the coming months.
They said the project had been impacted by 69 days of bad weather in 2025, which had caused delays.
The plant will only be used for about five per cent of the time, when electricity demand is high and renewable generation is limited.
"Every megawatt of capacity provided by Kurri Kurri enables three megawatts of renewable wind and solar to come online and replace increasingly unreliable coal generation," Mr Barnes said.
Snowy Hyrdo stated that the power station remained on track to be delivered within it's target of around $1.3 billion but in March the Newcastle Herald reported that costs could be closer to $2 billion.
On the eve of the 2022 federal election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, along with Hunter MPs, committed an additional $700 million towards a green hydrogen project at the plant.
Mr Albanese conceded in January that the green hydrogen vision had not gone to plan, however, he had not given up on eventually using green hydrogen in the plant.
He did not put a timeline on the project, but Mr Albanese confirmed the government's $700 million green hydrogen commitment remained.
The gas-powered Kurri Kurri station has fired up for the first time.
Snowy Hydro's Hunter Power Project team said they successfully ignited one of the station's two gas turbines and reached full speed late last week.
"First fire is a turning point in the power station's development that confirms the design, construction and cold commissioning of the turbine has been successful," Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes said.
The gas-fired project entered the national grid in March, two years after it was meant to begin operating.
The 660-megawatt plant was originally intended to be built in time for the closure of the Liddell coal-fired power station in April 2023.
In a statement, Snowy Hydro said the gas supply infrastructure was now complete with the station expected to reach full commercial operation the coming months.
They said the project had been impacted by 69 days of bad weather in 2025, which had caused delays.
The plant will only be used for about five per cent of the time, when electricity demand is high and renewable generation is limited.
"Every megawatt of capacity provided by Kurri Kurri enables three megawatts of renewable wind and solar to come online and replace increasingly unreliable coal generation," Mr Barnes said.
Snowy Hyrdo stated that the power station remained on track to be delivered within it's target of around $1.3 billion but in March the Newcastle Herald reported that costs could be closer to $2 billion.
On the eve of the 2022 federal election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, along with Hunter MPs, committed an additional $700 million towards a green hydrogen project at the plant.
Mr Albanese conceded in January that the green hydrogen vision had not gone to plan, however, he had not given up on eventually using green hydrogen in the plant.
He did not put a timeline on the project, but Mr Albanese confirmed the government's $700 million green hydrogen commitment remained.
The gas-powered Kurri Kurri station has fired up for the first time.
Snowy Hydro's Hunter Power Project team said they successfully ignited one of the station's two gas turbines and reached full speed late last week.
"First fire is a turning point in the power station's development that confirms the design, construction and cold commissioning of the turbine has been successful," Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes said.
The gas-fired project entered the national grid in March, two years after it was meant to begin operating.
The 660-megawatt plant was originally intended to be built in time for the closure of the Liddell coal-fired power station in April 2023.
In a statement, Snowy Hydro said the gas supply infrastructure was now complete with the station expected to reach full commercial operation the coming months.
They said the project had been impacted by 69 days of bad weather in 2025, which had caused delays.
The plant will only be used for about five per cent of the time, when electricity demand is high and renewable generation is limited.
"Every megawatt of capacity provided by Kurri Kurri enables three megawatts of renewable wind and solar to come online and replace increasingly unreliable coal generation," Mr Barnes said.
Snowy Hyrdo stated that the power station remained on track to be delivered within it's target of around $1.3 billion but in March the Newcastle Herald reported that costs could be closer to $2 billion.
On the eve of the 2022 federal election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, along with Hunter MPs, committed an additional $700 million towards a green hydrogen project at the plant.
Mr Albanese conceded in January that the green hydrogen vision had not gone to plan, however, he had not given up on eventually using green hydrogen in the plant.
He did not put a timeline on the project, but Mr Albanese confirmed the government's $700 million green hydrogen commitment remained.