Jenbacher engines to power 85 MW peaking plant in Australia
Strike Energy Limited (Strike) purchased Jenbacher engines with a total output of 85 MW from INNIO Group distributor Clarke Energy. As part of the contract, Clarke Energy also will also provide commissioning support for the peaking gas power plant, to be developed in the South Erregulla gas field in Australia.
An integrated, low-carbon energy business, Strike aspires to be Australia’s lowest cost onshore energy producer. The construction of the South Erregulla peaking power station will also contribute to this goal. With the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) issuing a capacity allocation in August this year and confirming the required 85 MW of grid capacity in November, the project can proceed as planned. The plant is expected to be commissioned in October 2026. Meanwhile, Strike officials and Clarke Energy representatives visited INNIO Group’s headquarters in Jenbach, Austria, and toured the company’s production facilities.
We were pleased to showcase our advanced production facility and highlight the many ways Jenbacher engines are the right solution for peaking power plants. Our plants support grid stability with our engines‘ ability to quickly start in less than 5 minutes, and because they are highly efficient, our plants will reduce Strike’s fuel consumption and lower their operating costs.
Those in attendance at the Jenbach tour were Greg Columbus, main board director from Clarke Energy Australasia, and Strike’s Stuart Nicholls, managing director and chief executive officer, and Project Director Tom Luke. The group previously also traveled to England to study an existing Jenbacher peaking plant.
Jenbacher engines: the right solution for peaking plants
With more than 1 GW of generation in Australia alone, Jenbacher reciprocating engines are a proven technology and a recognized solution for peaking power.
Locally in Western Australia, Jenbacher engines generate more than 358 MWs of power from 128 engines in operation. In the United Kingdom, the Jenbacher engines Clarke Energy has delivered since 2017 now supply more than 410 MWs of peaking power. Clarke Energy is a multi-award-winning global business specializing in the engineering, installation, and long-term maintenance of distributed energy solutions. Begun in 1989, the company has operated in Australia since 2001.
We prefer engine-based technology over turbine technology due to their higher efficiencies and quicker startup and response times, which suits the peaking role that this power plant will operate under.