Diamantina Power Station

Diamantina Power Station is a modern, high-efficiency gas-fired power station, providing reliable, on-demand electricity to the Mount Isa region in Queensland.

242MW

generating capacity

172MW

additional capacity

2014

operating since

A low emissions powerhouse for the Mount Isa region

Diamantina Power Station is a large-scale gas-fired power station that forms part of a wider power facility with shared infrastructure in Mount Isa.

Power generation technology

Diamantina Power Station is a 242MW combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant with four Siemens SGT-800 gas turbines and two Siemens SST-400 steam turbines.

Additional generation

Alongside the Diamantina Power Station, an additional 172MW can be generated from the following nearby assets:

Leichhardt Power Station (LPS)
Running a Siemens SGT-65A open cycle gas turbine (OCGT) gas turbine, LPS is capable of black start and dual-fuel operation with gas and distillate. Total 60MW generation capacity.

Thomson Power Station (TPS)
TPS has 8 Jenbacher J620 Gas Recips generating 3MW each for a total output of 24MW.

Dugald River Solar Farm (DRSF)
Completed in 2024, the huge DRSF is a remote grid solar farm with more than 184,000 panels and 20 Inverters generating 88MW of power.

Dugald River Solar Farm (DRSF) is Australia’s largest remote grid solar farm, demonstrates our ongoing commitment to investing in reliable, affordable and lower emissions energy for customers and the community in Mount Isa.

APA owns and operates the Diamantina Power Station and operates the X41 and Daandine Powers Station on behalf of Energy Infrastructure Investments (EII), in which it also holds a 19.9% interest (with Marubeni Corporation holding 49.9% and Osaka Gas 30.2%).

Local power for Mount Isa

As Mount Isa is not connected to the National Electricity Market, Diamantina Power Station is a primary and essential source of power generation for the whole region.

Long-term contracts

Diamantina Power Station supplies electricity under long-term contracts with local mines and the Queensland Government owned Ergon Energy, the main electricity users in the region.

Natural gas supply

The natural gas used at Diamantina is delivered to the site by APA’s Carpentaria Gas Pipeline.

North West Power System

DPS is part of the North West Power System, an isolated power system servicing the needs of both the community and industrial customers in the City of Mount Isa, Cloncurry and at nearby mining operations within the north west minerals province of Queensland.

Contact

Tel: 07 4749 8910

Impact

Sustainability and Environmental Impact

The Diamantina Power Station replaced an older coal-fired power plant resulting in a significant reduction in emissions for the region. It is a combined cycle gas power plant, which generates power using both gas-fired and steam cycles. By combining these cycles, this plant can generate energy more efficiently, and high efficiency equipment such as low NOx burners further reduces emissions.

The power station’s water efficiency measures have resulted in a 30% decrease in consumption compared to the previously operating power plant in the area. Additionally, it treats wastewater before discharge to ensure it meets environmental standards and minimises its impact on the local water systems.

The Diamantina Power Station is a titan in the local community, creating so many job opportunities during construction and now in the day-to-day operations, where a permanent local team of just under 40 people to manage and maintain it, including apprentices.

With the addition of the Dugald River Solar Farm, more renewables are being introduced into the North West Power System, making it more flexible in supplying on-demand power to customers.