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Kwinana Swift

Gas power plant in Western Australia, Australia. Approximate location -32.2243, 115.7783.

GasWestern AustraliaAustraliaOCGT

Kwinana Swift is a 120 MW gas power station in Western Australia, Australia. It is operated by Western Energy Pty Ltd. Based on reported annual generation of 130 GWh, it can supply roughly 37k homes. It ranks #158 of 536 Australia power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2011, it is around 15 years old — relatively modern. In context, gas supplies about 16.4% of Australia's electricity; the national grid averages 525 gCO₂/kWh (38.6% low-carbon) (2025).

120Source-backed capacity
130GWh reported / yr
37,257homes powered
2011commissioned (~15 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id AUS0000197.

Data status

Known data

FacilityKwinana Swift WRI
CountryAustralia · Western Australia WRI
Coordinates-32.2243, 115.7783 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity120 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerWestern Energy Pty Ltd WRI
Commissioned2011 WRI
TechnologyOCGT WRI
GWh reported / yr130 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions52,160 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#158 of 536 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#75 of 163 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers1.13× · 106 MW median · 163 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent37,257 calculated from reported generation
Climate18.3°C · HDD 650 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC4 · 42/100 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: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000407606); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 120 MW, Kwinana Swift is well above the median gas plant in Australia (106 MW). Technically it is described as OCGT. 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.

Reported generation trend

2016: 14 GWh20162017: 58 GWh20172018: 130 GWh2018130 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Western Energy 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-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 32.2°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

18.3°Cannual mean temp
650heating degree-days (base 18°C)
756cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
23 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 24 °CJF: 25 °CFM: 23 °CMA: 20 °CAM: 16 °CMJ: 14 °CJJ: 13 °CJA: 13 °CAS: 14 °CSO: 16 °CON: 19 °CND: 22 °CD25 °C

Heating degree-days here run 74% 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: 22/100 — 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 corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), with marine corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C4ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
42/100environmental-severity index
11.7°Cseasonal temperature swing
23 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 #75 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 -32.2243, 115.7783 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Kwinana Swift?

Kwinana Swift is a 120 MW source-record gas power plant in Western Australia, Australia, commissioned in 2011.

How much electricity does Kwinana Swift generate?

Kwinana Swift generates about 130 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Kwinana Swift power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 37,257 homes.

Who operates Kwinana Swift?

Kwinana Swift is operated by Western Energy Pty Ltd.

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