CS Energy‘s Callide Power Station in Queensland is now completely offline after multiple equipment failures, including the structural failure of part of the Unit C3 cooling plant on Monday and the tripping of Unit B2 during scheduled testing on Tuesday.
The Mining and Energy Union (MEU)’s Shane Brunker told ABC News that the last unit, B1, also tripped this morning.
Related article: The latest from the Callide Power Station fire
All four units at the coal-fired power station are now reportedly offline.
It comes less than two years after an explosion at the Callide’s C4 unit resulted in outages for 470,000 homes and businesses across the state.
CS Energy CEO Andrew Bills visited Callide Power Station after the incident at Unit C3 and commended the actions of employees.
“Our people at Callide Power Station responded calmly and professionally and I would like to thank them for their efforts,” Bills said.
Workplace Health and Safety Queensland also visited the site, with CS Energy saying it would work cooperatively with them and other regulators as required.
Workers at Central Queensland’s Callide Power Station say they fear for their safety and the future operation of the power plant as further malfunctions have left all units out of action.
MEU Queensland vice president Shane Brunker said Callide was today in ‘black start’ mode, meaning it is completely offline.
“Workers have been alarmed to look up and see plumes of steam and dust, they are very concerned about what’s going on at Callide,” Brunker said.
“Callide Power Station is crucial for providing baseline power for Queensland. This week’s events confirm workers’ fears that investment in maintenance of the power station has been neglected in the race to shut down coal power and move to renewables.
“We need the Queensland Government to step in and ensure Callide is being responsibly managed and maintenance and repair is prioritised—not only to get the power station back up and running but to keep it operating safely in the years ahead.
Related article: Dr Sean Brady to lead independent investigation into Callide incident
“The focus should be on investing in the existing fleet and exploring opportunities to improve them rather than running them down. This should include carbon capture and storage which has been proven in Queensland already including at Callide A.”
CS Energy has been contacted for comment.
