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By HARRY CLARKE
WHAT’S described by CS Energy as a routine “overhaul” is underway at the company’s Kogan Creek Power Station, creating work for about 450 additional contractors and bringing $3 million in flow-on benefits to the Western Downs.
The overhaul, or shutdown, will take place between now and early November, employing 450 contractors to carry out maintenance works on the 750MW coal-fired power station.
A CS Energy spokeswoman said in a statement the works would involve statutory inspections to ensure the plant was meeting operation requirements as well as general maintenance and upgrades.
“The power station is taken offline and then workers open up the various components of the power station (e.g. turbine, generator circuit breaker, boiler) for inspections and maintenance,” the statement said.
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“At the completion of the overhaul these components are closed up again, ready for the plant to generate electricity back into the grid.
“Overhauls are a major logistical exercise that involves months of planning and preparation with our contractors to ensure the necessary plant and equipment is delivered to site on time and that we have our contractor workforce lined up ready to carry out the works.”
CS Energy CEO Andrew Bills said the timing of the shutdown would ensure the power station would be in prime condition for summer.
“This overhaul will have a peak workforce of approximately 500 people, comprising up to 450 overhaul contractors and about 50 employees from the power station’s permanent workforce,” Mr Bills said.
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“The contractor workforce will primarily be drawn from the three major contractors – Downer Group, Intertek and Siemens, and there are local contractors involved too such as RIE Group, Healy Contracting Group, and Chinchilla Fluid Power.
“This will provide an economic boost to Chinchilla and Dalby, both from the extra workers onsite and the flow-on benefits to local service industries such as accommodation providers, caterers and transport companies.
The last overhaul at Kogan Creek happened in 2019.
