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Marble Bar Diesel Backup

Oil power plant in Western Australia, Australia. Approximate location -21.1649, 119.7419.

OilWestern AustraliaAustralia

Marble Bar Diesel Backup is a 1 MW oil power plant in Western Australia, Australia. It is operated by Horizon Power. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 976 homes (estimated). It ranks #507 of 536 Australia power plants by installed capacity. In context, oil supplies about 2.2% of Australia's electricity; the national grid averages 525 gCO₂/kWh (38.6% low-carbon) (2025).

1Legacy source-record capacity
976homes powered (est.)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id AUS0000365.

Data status

Known data

FacilityMarble Bar Diesel Backup WRI
CountryAustralia · Western Australia WRI
Coordinates-21.1649, 119.7419 WRI
FuelOil WRI
MW installed capacity1 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerHorizon Power WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions2,562 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#507 of 536 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#38 of 46 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers0.15× · 9 MW median · 46 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent976 calculated
Climate27.2°C · HDD 0 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC1 · 45/100 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 1 MW, Marble Bar Diesel Backup is below the median oil plant in Australia (9 MW). Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.

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

Capacity vs largest oil plants in Australia

Mount Stuart: 423 MW423Mount Stua…Solomon Hub mine power station: 136 MW136Solomon Hu…GOVE PENINSULA: 120 MW120GOVE PENIN…HEZ Energy Peaking Power Plant: 120 MW120HEZ Energy…SA GAS TURBINES: 120 MW120SA GAS TUR…Port Lincoln: 74 MW74Port Linco…Port Stanvac: 65 MW65Port Stanv…West Kalgoorlie: 60 MW60West Kalgo…

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

Owner

Operated by Horizon Power.

Local climate & thermal context

This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 21.2°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

27.2°Cannual mean temp
0heating degree-days (base 18°C)
3,332cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
225 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 33 °CJF: 32 °CFM: 31 °CMA: 28 °CAM: 24 °CMJ: 20 °CJJ: 19 °CJA: 21 °CAS: 25 °CSO: 28 °CON: 31 °CND: 33 °CD33 °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.

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)
45/100environmental-severity index
13.5°Cseasonal temperature swing
144 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 #38 largest oil power plant of 46 in Australia by capacity.

Australia has 46 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 1,605 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates -21.1649, 119.7419 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Marble Bar Diesel Backup?

Marble Bar Diesel Backup is a 1 MW source-record oil power plant in Western Australia, Australia.

How many homes can Marble Bar Diesel Backup power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 976 homes (estimated).

Who operates Marble Bar Diesel Backup?

Marble Bar Diesel Backup is operated by Horizon Power.

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