Qld to build two gas-fired power stations October 25, 2011 -...

Qld to build two gas-fired power stations October 25, 2011 - 11:49AM



AAP

Queensland will build two new gas-fired power stations at Ipswich and Gladstone.

Premier Anna Bligh said TRUenergy would undertake the $3.6 billion investment that would create 1000 new jobs in construction from 2013 and increase the state's electricity generation by 20 per cent.

Each would emit 50 per cent less carbon dioxide than a coal-fired station, she told parliament on Tuesday.

Advertisement: Story continues below "The stations would be where we forecast some of our highest population growth in that western corridor of the southeast of our state and where we will see some of our greatest industrial growth in the great city of Gladstone at the centre of our new LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) export industry," Ms Bligh said.

The plants would each generate 500 megawatts from 2014 but could expand to 1500 megawatts each, she said.

The plant at Ipswich, west of Brisbane, would be built near the existing Swanbank coal-fired station, which is due to close in 2012.

The Gladstone plant, in central Queensland, would be situated on industrial land.

The premier said the announcement proved that putting a price on carbon was not hindering major energy projects.