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Dampier

Gas power plant in Western Australia, Australia. Approximate location -20.648, 116.7219.

GasWestern AustraliaAustraliaCO₂ modelled

Dampier is a 120 MW gas power station in Western Australia, Australia. It is operated by Rio Tinto Australia Pty Ltd. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 135k homes (estimated). It ranks #156 of 536 Australia power plants by installed capacity. Its modelled annual emissions are 197,870 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 46k cars driven for a year. In context, gas supplies about 16.4% of Australia's electricity; the national grid averages 525 gCO₂/kWh (38.6% low-carbon) (2025).

120Legacy source-record capacity
135,154homes powered (est.)
197,870t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id AUS0000185.

Data status

Known data

FacilityDampier WRI
CountryAustralia · Western Australia WRI
Coordinates-20.648, 116.7219 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity120 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerRio Tinto Australia Pty Ltd WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions197,870 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#156 of 536 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#74 of 163 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.13× · 106 MW median · 163 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent135,154 calculated
Climate26.9°C · HDD 0 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC5 · 62/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

CommissionedNot available not in dataset
TechnologyNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and fuel fields on this page are source-record values from the upstream open dataset. They are useful for identification and ranking, but they have not been upgraded to a 2026 registry/GEM-location verified value.

capacity: WRI Global Power Plant Database source-record (legacy); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 120 MW, Dampier is well above the median gas plant in Australia (106 MW). Gas plants burn natural gas either in open-cycle turbines for fast peaking, or in combined-cycle units that recover exhaust heat in an HRSG to reach roughly 55–62% efficiency — the cleanest-burning fossil option.

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

~197,870 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

46kpassenger cars driven for a year
26khomes' yearly energy use
3.3 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

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

Capacity vs largest gas plants in Australia

Tomago Aluminium Smelter: 810 MW810Tomago Alu…Torrens Island B: 800 MW800Torrens Is…Marulan power station: 800 MW800Marulan po…Tallawarra: 796 MW796TallawarraKerrawary Power Station: 770 MW770Kerrawary …Callide Gas Peaker Power Plant: 750 MW750Callide Ga…Colongra: 724 MW724ColongraUranquinty: 664 MW664Uranquinty

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

Owner

Operated by Rio Tinto Australia Pty Ltd.

Local climate & thermal context

This gas plant burns natural gas in a turbine — often in a combined-cycle setup — to generate electricity. It sits in a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 20.6°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

26.9°Cannual mean temp
0heating degree-days (base 18°C)
3,253cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
22 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 32 °CJF: 32 °CFM: 31 °CMA: 29 °CAM: 24 °CMJ: 21 °CJJ: 20 °CJA: 22 °CAS: 24 °CSO: 27 °CON: 29 °CND: 31 °CD32 °C

This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.

A gas turbine here also runs ~8% below its ISO (15°C) rating at this annual mean (typical CCGT curve, estimate).

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

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C5ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
62/100environmental-severity index
11.8°Cseasonal temperature swing
44 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

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 #74 largest gas power plant of 163 in Australia by capacity.

Australia has 163 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 29,942 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates -20.648, 116.7219 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Dampier?

Dampier is a 120 MW source-record gas power plant in Western Australia, Australia.

How many homes can Dampier power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 135,154 homes (estimated).

Who operates Dampier?

Dampier is operated by Rio Tinto Australia Pty Ltd.

How much CO₂ does Dampier emit?

Dampier has modelled emissions of about 197,870 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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