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Port Lincoln

Oil power plant in South Australia, Australia. Approximate location -34.7003, 135.8044.

OilSouth AustraliaAustraliaCO₂ modelled

Port Lincoln is a 74 MW oil power plant in South Australia, Australia. It is operated by Synergen Power. Based on reported annual generation of 2 GWh, it can supply roughly 485 homes. It ranks #223 of 536 Australia power plants by installed capacity. Its modelled annual emissions are 72,138 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 17k cars driven for a year. In context, oil supplies about 2.2% of Australia's electricity; the national grid averages 525 gCO₂/kWh (38.6% low-carbon) (2025).

74Legacy source-record capacity
2GWh reported / yr
485homes powered
72,138t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id AUS0000238.

Data status

Known data

FacilityPort Lincoln WRI
CountryAustralia · South Australia WRI
Coordinates-34.7003, 135.8044 WRI
FuelOil WRI
MW installed capacity74 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerSynergen Power WRI
GWh reported / yr2 GWh/yr WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions72,138 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#223 of 536 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#6 of 46 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers8.55× · 9 MW median · 46 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent485 calculated from reported generation
Climate15.9°C · HDD 955 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC5 · 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 74 MW, Port Lincoln is well above 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.

~72,138 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

17kpassenger cars driven for a year
9.4khomes' yearly energy use
1.2 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

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

Reported generation trend

2013: 1 GWh20132014: 1 GWh20142015: 0 GWh20152016: 0 GWh20162017: 2 GWh20172018: 2 GWh20182 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by Synergen Power.

Local climate & thermal context

This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 34.7°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

15.9°Cannual mean temp
955heating degree-days (base 18°C)
180cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
31 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 20 °CJF: 20 °CFM: 19 °CMA: 17 °CAM: 14 °CMJ: 12 °CJJ: 12 °CJA: 12 °CAS: 13 °CSO: 15 °CON: 17 °CND: 19 °CD20 °C

Heating degree-days here run 61% 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: 26/100 — this site sits in the bottom 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 an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.

C5ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
42/100environmental-severity index
8.9°Cseasonal temperature swing
7 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 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 -34.7003, 135.8044 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Port Lincoln?

Port Lincoln is a 74 MW source-record oil power plant in South Australia, Australia.

How much electricity does Port Lincoln generate?

Port Lincoln generates about 2 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Port Lincoln power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 485 homes.

Who operates Port Lincoln?

Port Lincoln is operated by Synergen Power.

How much CO₂ does Port Lincoln emit?

Port Lincoln has modelled emissions of about 72,138 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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