Christmas Creek Iron Ore Mine — Australia

Christmas Creek Iron Ore Mine is a 58 MW oil power plant in Western Australia, Australia. It is operated by Contract Power Holdings. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 44k homes (estimated). It ranks #246 of 536 Australia power plants by installed capacity. Its modelled annual emissions are 27,699 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 6.5k cars driven for a year. In context, oil supplies about 2.2% of Australia's electricity; the national grid averages 525 gCO₂/kWh (38.6% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id AUS0000221.

Data provenance

Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.

capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 58 MW, Christmas Creek Iron Ore Mine is well above the median oil plant in Australia (8.6 MW). Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

~27,699 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.

Key facts

Share of Australia oil capacity

3.6% of 1,605 MW across 46 plants in this dataset

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Capacity vs largest oil plants in Australia

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Contract Power Holdings.

Local climate & thermal context

This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 22.4°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 98% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 14/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

This site sits in a benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #9 largest oil power plant of 46 in Australia by capacity.

Australia has 46 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 1,605 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Roy Hill · Oil · 6 MW · Western Australia
• Cloudbreak · Oil · 44 MW · Western Australia
• Yarnima power station · Gas · 190.1 MW · Western Australia
• Newman (AU) power station · Gas · 217.2 MW · Western Australia
• Newman Iron Ore Mine · Gas · 170 MW · Western Australia
• West Angelas Mine · Gas · 86 MW · Western Australia

Location

Coordinates -22.399, 119.732 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions