Callide power station
| Part of the Global Coal Plant Tracker, a Global Energy Monitor project. |
| Related coal trackers: |
Callide power station is an operating power station of at least 1160-megawatts (MW) in Biloela, Queensland, Australia with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Callide power station | Biloela, Queensland, Australia | -24.347222, 150.617115 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Phase B Unit 1, Phase B Unit 2, Phase C Unit 1, Phase C Unit 2: -24.347222, 150.617115
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase B Unit 1 | operating | coal - subbituminous | 350 | subcritical | 1989 | 2028 (planned) |
| Phase B Unit 2 | operating | coal - subbituminous | 350 | subcritical | 1989 | 2028 (planned) |
| Phase C Unit 1 | operating | coal - subbituminous | 460 | supercritical | 2001 | 2038 (planned) |
| Phase C Unit 2 | mothballed | coal - subbituminous | 460 | supercritical | 2001 | 2038 (planned) |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner |
|---|---|
| Phase B Unit 1 | CS Energy Ltd [100.0%] |
| Phase B Unit 2 | CS Energy Ltd [100.0%] |
| Phase C Unit 1 | IG Power (Callide) Ltd [50.0%], CS Energy Ltd [50.0%] |
| Phase C Unit 2 | IG Power (Callide) Ltd [50.0%], CS Energy Ltd [50.0%] |
Background
The Callide power station is located 18 kilometres east of Biloela in central Queensland and comprises Callide A, B, and C plants. Callide A was originally constructed in 1965; one of its 30MW units was recommissioned to become home of the Callide Oxyfuel Project. The 2 x 350MW Callide B plant was commissioned in 1989, while the 2 x 460MW supercritical Callide C plant was commissioned in 2001.[1]
The plant underwent an A$49 million program of overhaul and maintenance that was scheduled to last from September 2018 to December 2018.[2]
In 2018, The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) estimated that Callide-B will operate for the duration of its 50-year life cycle, or until 2039.[3]
However, in October 2019 it was reported Callide-B will now close in 2028, not 2039 as originally planned.[4]
Callide-C is planned for retirement in 2038.[5]
Explosion and outages
On May 25, 2021, there was an explosion at the Callide-C power station, which triggered a fire in one of the turbine halls and caused three units to go offline, triggering major power outages across Queensland. In total, about 470,000 customers were affected.[6] CFMMEU Mining and Energy Vice President Shane Brunker stated that repairs to the plant could take "months, if not years" and would cost millions of dollars.[7] Bunker also called the incident a "catastrophic failure" and a "worst-case scenario". A spokesman for Energex, Danny Donald, stated that he had not seen such a bad blackout in his 15 years in the industry.[8]
In July 2021, CS Energy announced that Unit 4 would not be brought back online until December 2022.[9] In May 2022, CS Energy said that Unit 4 would be rebuilt and operating again by February 2023.[10]
In November 2022, a structural failure occurred when part of the cooling equipment collapsed in Callide-C. The remaining 460 MW unit would be offline for 3 weeks, meaning the entirety of Callide-C was inoperative.[11] The next day, a safety protection system detected a heat pump issue in Callide-B; the B units proceeded to trip and the entire power station was offline for at least two days.[12]
As of March 2023, both units at Callide-C were reportedly still completely offline, and had been so since October of 2022.[13] At the time, a CS Energy statement had confirmed that efforts were still underway to get both units of Callide-C back up and running normally.[13]
A March 2023 report released by CS Energy publicized new estimates for the return dates of the two Callide-C units. For Unit C-3, it was estimated that a capacity of 300 MW would be available in September 2023, and 466 MW would be available by December 2023. For Unit C-4, the following available capacities were estimated to be ready by the following dates:
- 31 Oct 2023 – 300 MW
- 30 Nov 2023 – 350 MW
- 31 Jan 2024 – 466MW [14]
While CS Energy assured the public that the units would be back in service near the end of 2023, the plant's co-owner Genuity (formerly InterGen) reportedly underwent voluntary administration following shareholders' disagreement regarding "the venture's future funding." [15]
In May 2023, CS Energy again revised their estimates for the return dates of the two Callide-C units, citing the "complexity of rebuilding the cooling towers, the risks of supply chain issues and recommissioning the new C4 generator and turbine." Unit C-3 was expected to be back at 50% capacity by January 2024, and at 466 MW in February 2024. Unit C-4 was expected to be at 50% capacity by May 2024, and at 420 MW by July 2024.[16]
According to reporting from October 2023, CS Energy had paid a A$67,800 (US$43,200) fine for operating Callide C without regulatory approval when the 2021 explosion crippled the units and destabilized the grid.[17]
In an update from January 2024, CS Energy stated that weather-related "work stoppages" had delayed the return dates of the Callide C units. Unit C-3 was expected to return to full power by the end of March 2024, and Unit C-4 was expected to return to full power by the end of July 2024.[18]
In January 2024, stakeholder Sev.en Global Investments launched legal action in the Federal Court of Australia requesting the appointment of a special administrator to investigate the failures of the two units at Callide C.[19] The court agreed to the request and ordered a new investigation.[20]
In February 2024, the Australian Energy Regulator launched legal proceedings against the operator of Callide C for allegedly breaching market rules and not meeting performance standards.[21]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ CS Energy, "Callide", CS Energy website, accessed June 2011.
- ↑ Callide power station to undergo $49 million overhaul, Central Telegraph, Sep. 3, 2018
- ↑ 2018 Integrated System Plan, AEMO, Jul. 17, 2018
- ↑ "Qld to close coal-fired power station a decade early," Financial Review, Oct. 7, 2019
- ↑ Labor searches for the right medicine in Queensland climate campaign, Sydney Morning Herald, Apr. 25, 2022
- ↑ Lucy Stone,What happened at Queensland's Callide Power Station and will we lose power again?, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, May 25, 2021
- ↑ Kylie Stevens, Explosion at Queensland power station will take 'years' to repair, Australia Associated Press, May 25, 2021
- ↑ Emma Pollard, Queensland blackout to be investigated after fire at Callide Power Station cuts power to large parts of the state, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, May 25, 2021
- ↑ Callide power unit won’t return until December 2022, Australian Financial Review, Jul. 7, 2021
- ↑ One year on from Callide Power Station fire, answers are still being sought, ABC, May 25, 2022
- ↑ 'Structural failure' at Callide Power Station near Biloela leaves unit offline, ABC, November 1, 2022
- ↑ Callide Power Station in central Queensland completely offline, ABC, November 3, 2022
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Fresh blow for Queensland coal, as shareholder dispute topples Callide C co-owner, Renew Economy, March 27, 2023
- ↑ UPDATED RETURN TO SERVICE DATES FOR CALLIDE C GENERATING UNITS, CS Energy, March 8, 2023
- ↑ Co-owners of troubled plant in voluntary administration, PerthNow, March 24, 2023
- ↑ "UPDATED RETURN TO SERVICE DATES FOR CALLIDE C GENERATING UNITS - 30 MAY 2023," CS Energy, May 30, 2023
- ↑ "Callide coal generator was being operated without approval when it blew up in 2021," Renew Economy, October 18, 2023
- ↑ "Update on Progress in Returning Callide C Power Station to Service," CS Energy, January 15, 2024
- ↑ "Czech coal baron slams Queensland government ahead of legal showdown," Australian Financial Review, January 17, 2024
- ↑ "Federal Court orders fresh investigation into explosion at central Queensland's Callide C power station," ABC News Australia, January 28, 2024
- ↑ "Callide Power Trading Pty Ltd: alleged breaches of the National Electricity Rules," Australian Energy Regulator, February 9, 2024
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
