Electricity supplies in Australia's Queensland were restored today after an explosion at the 1,525MW Callide coal-fired power station yesterday that caused blackouts in large parts of the state, including some of its largest coal ports.
Power has now been restored to all homes and businesses affected, said Queensland energy minister Mick de Brenni. The Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo) was confident there will be sufficient supplies to meet demand, he added. Additional capacity from the 500MW Wivenhoe pumped hydroelectric power station and 385MW Swanbank E gas-fired power plant brought the system back into balance, de Brenni said.
Various coal ports in Queensland including the Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal, Hay Point and Abbot Point Coal Terminal were left without power after the fire and explosion at Callide.
The Queensland power network was also supported by electricity supplies from neighbouring New South Wales via the power transmission link between the two states, said Aemo.
Callide comprises the 700MW Callide B, which is scheduled to close in 2029, and the 825MW Callide C power plants. There was a fire in the turbine hall for the 200MW Callide C4 unit and there were reports of explosions, of which there is no knowledge of the cause or source of at this time, said its operator Queensland state-owned utility CS Energy.
The Callide C4 unit has experienced major damage and a failure of the turbine, CS Energy said. "It is too early to say with certainty when unit 4 will be operational again, however based on currently available information, we have informed the market operator this morning that the unit will be available in 12 months," CS Energy said. The firm is assessing the damage to the other three units at Callide C and will come up with a plan to bring those units back safely, it said.
Coal is the main fuel for Queensland's power network, which is part of the National Electricity Market (NEM) that covers east Australia. Coal accounts for around two-thirds of power generation in the NEM, with renewable energy just under 30pc and the balance supplied by gas.
