Callide Power Station gears up for major overhaul

A massive $48.5 million overhaul at CS Energy’s Callide Power Station near Biloela gets underway tomorrow, bringing more than 300 extra workers to the site and flow-on economic benefits to Central Queensland.

Treasurer Curtis Pitt said initial works on the 56-day major overhaul of Unit C4 at CS Energy’s Callide C Power Station near Biloela start on Saturday, with major works commencing next week.

“Approximately 320 contractors will be working at the power station over the next two months from the major overhaul contractor Lendlease, following a major recruitment campaign in Queensland earlier this year,” Mr Pitt said.

“I’m pleased to say approximately 32 percent of Lendlease’s workforce have been hired from the local Central Queensland area and 80 percent of the workforce will be made up of Queenslanders.

“The extra workers include fitters, welders, scaffolders, rigger, electricians, boilermakers and crane drivers.

“Accommodating, transporting and feeding the overhaul contractors provides a real boost to local service industries such as accommodation providers, caterers and transport companies.”

Other contractors working on the overhaul include Star Precision Electrical from Biloela and Toshiba, Howdens, Varleys, Brand and Intertek.

The overhaul contractors will work alongside Callide Power Station’s permanent workforce of 205 people.

Mr Pitt said Callide C is part of Queensland’s fleet of modern, supercritical coal-fired power stations, which provide baseload electricity to the National Electricity Market.

“Supercritical coal-fired power stations like Callide C will play a central role in Queensland's energy mix over the long-term, even as the economy transitions to a renewable energy future,” Mr Pitt said.

“Callide C was the first supercritical power station built in Australia and has one of the lowest greenhouse gas emissions intensities for any coal-fired power station in the country.

“The Callide C4 generating unit was last overhauled in 2015, so these works will keep it operating in peak condition into the future, providing reliable electricity for Queensland.”

Callide Power Station is comprised of two operating power plants, Callide B and C. CS Energy owns 100 percent of Callide B and owns Callide C in a 50/50 joint venture arrangement with InterGen.

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About CS Energy

CS Energy is a Queensland energy company that has more than 400 employees, operates three power stations and has a trading portfolio of 4,035 megawatts. CS Energy operates the 1,510 megawatt Callide Power Station near Biloela in Central Queensland, the 750 megawatt coal-fired Kogan Creek Power Station, near Chinchilla in South West Queensland and the 500 megawatt pumped storage hydroelectric Wivenhoe Power Station, near Esk in South East Queensland. CS Energy’s coal resources include the Kogan Creek Mine. The company is also party to the Interconnection and Power Pooling Agreement that entitles the company to trade the output of the Gladstone Power Station in excess of the requirements of the Boyne Aluminium Smelter. CS Energy Chief Executive Officer Martin Moore is on the Board of the Australian Energy Council, which represents major electricity and gas businesses operating in competitive wholesale and retail energy markets.