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Hazelwood

Coal power plant in Victoria, Australia. Approximate location -38.2731, 146.3923.

CoalVictoriaAustraliasubcritical

Hazelwood is a 1,600 MW coal power station in Victoria, Australia. It is operated by Hazelwood Power. Based on reported annual generation of 7,700 GWh, it can supply roughly 2.2 million homes. It ranks #7 of 536 Australia power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1964, it is around 62 years old — an older, legacy facility. In context, coal supplies about 42.7% of Australia's electricity; the national grid averages 525 gCO₂/kWh (38.6% low-carbon) (2025).

1,600Source-backed capacity
7,700GWh reported / yr
2,200,057homes powered
1964commissioned (~62 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id AUS0000087.

Data status

Known data

FacilityHazelwood WRI
CountryAustralia · Victoria WRI
Coordinates-38.2731, 146.3923 WRI
FuelCoal WRI
MW installed capacity1,600 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerHazelwood Power WRI
Commissioned1964 WRI
Technologysubcritical WRI
GWh reported / yr7,700 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions7,700,200 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#7 of 536 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#6 of 38 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers2.29× · 700 MW median · 38 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent2,200,057 calculated from reported generation
Climate12.1°C · HDD 2,166 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC3 · 29/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

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/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: Wikidata P2109 nameplate capacity; fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 1,600 MW, Hazelwood is well above the median coal plant in Australia (700 MW). Technically it is described as subcritical. Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.

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

Reported generation trend

2013: 11,483 GWh20132014: 11,087 GWh20142015: 10,969 GWh20152016: 10,326 GWh20162017: 7,700 GWh201711k GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Hazelwood Power.

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 38.3°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

12.1°Cannual mean temp
2,166heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
362 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 17 °CJF: 17 °CFM: 16 °CMA: 13 °CAM: 10 °CMJ: 8 °CJJ: 7 °CJA: 8 °CAS: 9 °CSO: 11 °CON: 13 °CND: 15 °CD17 °C

Heating degree-days here run 12% 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: 45/100 — this site sits in the mid 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

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 a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
29/100environmental-severity index
10.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
62 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 #6 largest coal power plant of 38 in Australia by capacity.

Australia has 38 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 32,918 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates -38.2731, 146.3923 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Hazelwood?

Hazelwood is a 1,600 MW source-record coal power plant in Victoria, Australia, commissioned in 1964.

How much electricity does Hazelwood generate?

Hazelwood generates about 7,700 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Hazelwood power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 2,200,057 homes.

Who operates Hazelwood?

Hazelwood is operated by Hazelwood Power.

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