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Kambalda

Gas power plant in Western Australia, Australia. Approximate location -31.1919, 121.6741.

GasWestern AustraliaAustraliaCO₂ modelled

Kambalda is a 42 MW gas power plant in Western Australia, Australia. It is operated by Southern Cross Energy. Based on reported annual generation of 269 GWh, it can supply roughly 77k homes. It ranks #283 of 536 Australia power plants by installed capacity. Its modelled annual emissions are 43,282 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 10k 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).

42Legacy source-record capacity
269GWh reported / yr
76,742homes powered
43,282t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id AUS0000210.

Data status

Known data

FacilityKambalda WRI
CountryAustralia · Western Australia WRI
Coordinates-31.1919, 121.6741 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity42 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerSouthern Cross Energy WRI
GWh reported / yr269 GWh/yr WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions43,282 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#283 of 536 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#111 of 163 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.40× · 106 MW median · 163 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent76,742 calculated from reported generation
Climate18.2°C · HDD 722 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 37/100 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 42 MW, Kambalda is below 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.

~43,282 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

10kpassenger cars driven for a year
5.6khomes' yearly energy use
721ktree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

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

Reported generation trend

2013: 277 GWh20132014: 218 GWh20142015: 181 GWh20152016: 232 GWh20162017: 260 GWh20172018: 269 GWh2018277 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Southern Cross Energy.

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 cold semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSk) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 31.2°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

18.2°Cannual mean temp
722heating degree-days (base 18°C)
800cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
293 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 25 °CJF: 24 °CFM: 22 °CMA: 19 °CAM: 15 °CMJ: 12 °CJJ: 12 °CJA: 12 °CAS: 15 °CSO: 18 °CON: 21 °CND: 23 °CD25 °C

Heating degree-days here run 71% 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: 23/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~2% 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 a benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.

C1ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
37/100environmental-severity index
13.2°Cseasonal temperature swing
320 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 #111 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 -31.1919, 121.6741 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Kambalda?

Kambalda is a 42 MW source-record gas power plant in Western Australia, Australia.

How much electricity does Kambalda generate?

Kambalda generates about 269 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Kambalda power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 76,742 homes.

Who operates Kambalda?

Kambalda is operated by Southern Cross Energy.

How much CO₂ does Kambalda emit?

Kambalda has modelled emissions of about 43,282 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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