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Leinster Nickel Mine

Gas power plant in Western Australia, Australia. Approximate location -27.8141, 120.699.

GasWestern AustraliaAustralia

Leinster Nickel Mine is a 59 MW gas power plant in Western Australia, Australia. It is operated by Southern Cross Energy. Based on reported annual generation of 250 GWh, it can supply roughly 71k homes. It ranks #244 of 536 Australia power plants by installed capacity. In context, gas supplies about 16.4% of Australia's electricity; the national grid averages 525 gCO₂/kWh (38.6% low-carbon) (2025).

59Legacy source-record capacity
250GWh reported / yr
71,428homes powered

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id AUS0000212.

Data status

Known data

FacilityLeinster Nickel Mine WRI
CountryAustralia · Western Australia WRI
Coordinates-27.8141, 120.699 WRI
FuelGas WRI
MW installed capacity59 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerSouthern Cross Energy WRI
GWh reported / yr250 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions100,000 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#244 of 536 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#101 of 163 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.56× · 106 MW median · 163 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent71,428 calculated from reported generation
Climate20.9°C · HDD 560 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 42/100 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 59 MW, Leinster Nickel Mine 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.

Reported generation trend

2013: 317 GWh20132014: 302 GWh20142015: 281 GWh20152016: 296 GWh20162017: 314 GWh20172018: 250 GWh2018317 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 hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 27.8°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

20.9°Cannual mean temp
560heating degree-days (base 18°C)
1,616cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
486 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 30 °CJF: 28 °CFM: 26 °CMA: 21 °CAM: 16 °CMJ: 13 °CJJ: 12 °CJA: 14 °CAS: 17 °CSO: 21 °CON: 25 °CND: 28 °CD30 °C

Heating degree-days here run 77% 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: 21/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

A gas turbine here also runs ~4% 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)
42/100environmental-severity index
18.1°Cseasonal temperature swing
572 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 #101 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 -27.8141, 120.699 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Leinster Nickel Mine?

Leinster Nickel Mine is a 59 MW source-record gas power plant in Western Australia, Australia.

How much electricity does Leinster Nickel Mine generate?

Leinster Nickel Mine generates about 250 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Leinster Nickel Mine power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 71,428 homes.

Who operates Leinster Nickel Mine?

Leinster Nickel Mine is operated by Southern Cross Energy.

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