Cockle Creek Power Station

Cockle Creek Power Station was located in Teralba, New South Wales, Australia on the banks of Cockle Creek. The power stationed operated from 11 March 1927 until March 1976.The Cockle Creek power station was built by Caledonian Collieries Limited between 1925 and 1927 to use low grade coal to provide power to Caledonian Collieries mines and the surrounding townships in both the Lake Macquarie and Cessnock areas. A weir at Barnsley along Cockle Creek was constructed to supply cooling water for the power station.The initial plant installed at the power station consisted of two Brown Boveri 5 MW turbo alternators with two Babock & Wilcox cross type marine water tube boilers. The two water tube boilers ran at a steam pressure of with a capacity of of steam per hour each and were each fed by two Babock & Wilcox chain grate stokers. The power station building was constructed of brick except for one end wall which was clad in galvanised sheeting to allow for future expansion.By 1936 with an increase in load requiring extra steam generating plant, a third boiler was ordered. This boiler was also built by Babcock & Wilcox and was a single drum cross type water tube boiler and ran at a steam pressure of with a capacity of of steam per hour and was fed by a single chain grate stoker. By 1938 the load on the power station had increased to the stage where a third generator set was required. An order was placed with British-Thomson Houston for a 3.222 MW turbo alternator which was then numbered No.3 and was placed into service in March 1939.