The Swanbank E power station will start supplying power again on January 1, after Queensland government-owned corporation Stanwell finalised an agreement for the supply of gas with Shell Australia.
The power station, located near Ipswich, will be fired up again as part of the state government’s $1.16 billion Powering Queensland Plan, Treasurer and Acting Energy Minister Curtis Pitt said.
“Stanwell received a number of commercial offers for gas supply following the Palaszczuk Government’s announcement in June that we would be firing the 385MW gas-fired plant back up again after the LNP mothballed it at the height of their asset sales frenzy which also resulted in the loss of 25 jobs,” Mr Pitt said.
“This strong response shows gas market players in Queensland are interested in doing business in the domestic market and have gas available and I congratulate Shell Australia and Stanwell for closing the deal.”
In 2014, Stanwell placed the power station into cold storage and sold the associated gas entitlements in readiness for a sell off to the private sector.
Member for Bundamba Jo-Ann Miller said the recruitment drive for the 16 new positions at the plant was progressing well.
“So far, Stanwell has nine confirmed acceptances and all of those are locals,” she said.
“The first of the new employees are expected to begin work here in early October.”
Test runs at Swanbank E are scheduled for November and December.
