The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has completed its assessment of a proposal to increase the capacity of the Kwinana Swift Power Station to supply electricity to the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) network.
The EPA determined to assess the Western Energy Pty Ltd proposal to construct, install and operate four open-cycle gas turbines in May this year. Today the independent Authority published its report on the K2 Project, recommending the proposal may be implemented subject to conditions.
EPA Chair Darren Walsh said that in less than four months the environmental impact assessment was able to consider the key environmental factor of greenhouse gas emissions, as well as potential impacts to other factors such as terrestrial environmental quality, inland waters, air quality, and social surroundings.
“This is a good example of a proponent providing good quality, relevant information to the EPA at the outset to enable us to deliver a robust assessment in a timely manner,” he said. The proponent incorporated upfront GHG emissions avoidance and mitigation measures during the design and development stages of the proposal.
The K2 Project, located in the Kwinana Industrial Area, does not require any additional clearing of native vegetation and would use existing infrastructure to connect to Western Australia’s main electricity network.
It would operate as a peaking power station to supply additional power during periods of peak demand from the grid by increasing its nominal capacity to 370 megawatts (MW) from 120MW. And the proposed gas turbines would be able to operate on natural gas, diesel, distillate, ethane, liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and/or hydrogen.
The EPA’s report to the Minister for Environment is now open for a three-week public appeal period, closing 2 October 2025. Appeals should be directed to the Office of the Appeals Convenor. The Minister for Environment will make the final decision on the proposal. EPA Report 1791 can be found on the EPA website.
EPA Media Contact: Jenni.Storey@dwer.wa.gov.au; 0434 734 997
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