The Wivenhoe Power Station, west of Brisbane, has returned to full operations following a major overhaul lasting more than 100 days.
Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen, Mick de Brenni said the $14 million project was completed safely and on budget.
“The overhaul will mean the 570MW power station can continue to produce cleaner, cheaper energy for decades to come,” Mr de Brenni said.
“Wivenhoe is a unique facility: It is Queensland’s only pumped storage hydroelectric power station and, as a fast-ramping, flexible energy generator, is a major contributor to our plans for 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030,” he said.
Assistant Minister for the 50 per cent Renewable Energy Target by 2030, Lance McCallum said the overhaul over the past 113 days involved some challenging situations.
“Much of the work was undertaken at considerable heights and in confined spaces requiring precision and experience,” Mr McCallum said.
“The works involved large-scale maintenance on one of the station’s 285-megawatt turbines.”
Site Manager at the Wivenhoe Power Station, Trevor Turner said safety was the top priority during work, while another key aspect of the project’s success was maintaining community spirit on site.
“We staged a weekly barbecue bringing together the whole team — CleanCo staff and contractors — and raised thousands of dollars for community charities along the way,” Mr Turner said.
