In November 2022 all four units at the coal-fired Callide Power Station were not operating after a structural failure at the cooling plant brought the C3 unit offline, and later on the B2 unit tripped during scheduled testing, followed by the last unit, B1, also tripping. In 2024,
Liberal Party opposition leader
Peter Dutton said he intends, if elected, to build one of seven government-owned nuclear power plants on this site, to be operational by 2035–2037.
Callide A opening Callide Power Station, 21 August 1965 At the end of 1962 approval was granted for a new power station near
Biloela. Work commenced at the site in February 1963. The design of the plant based around separate generating units and a control room was a first for Queensland. The Callide Oxyfuel project was decommissioned in 2015/16 after
demonstrating carbon capture technology for two years.
Callide C The Callide Power Plant (a.k.a. Callide C) was commissioned in 2001 with two 405 MW advanced cycle steam turbines. Callide C uses a more efficient
"supercritical" boiler technology to burn coal to generate electricity. It was built to operate to 2050.
Carbon Monitoring for Action estimates this power station emits 5.73 million tonnes of
greenhouse gases each year as a result of burning
coal. The Australian Government introduced a
Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme in 2011 to help
combat climate change, intended to reduce emissions from power stations. The scheme was replaced in 2014 by a 'direct action' program. The
National Pollutant Inventory provides details of other pollutant emissions, but, as at 23 November 2008, not
CO2. On 25 May 2021, an explosion and subsequent fire at Callide C caused a significant power outage (including Callide B and parts of
Stanwell and
Gladstone power stations) that affected over 375,000 premises, and caused increased power prices for weeks. A February 2024 technical report found that the explosion was caused by a voltage collapse during installation of a new battery charger. In addition, a June 2024 commissioned report into the explosion by a forensic engineer found that a lack of "effective process safety practices" contributed to the incident. The hydrogen-filled generator had a catastrophic failure, resulting in significant damage. Despite speculation that the plant would close, Callide C3 was repaired at an estimated cost of $200M and reopened in April 2024. A judge ordered Callide Power Trading to pay a penalty of $9 million. The cooling tower at C3 collapsed in 2022, and rebuilt in 2024. As of 25 June 2024, Callide C4 turbine had not returned to service. It was destroyed in May 2021. As of February 2024, insurance carriers had refused to pay the $300M claimed by CS Energy. Callide Unit C4 was returned to partial service on 30 August 2024. A 200 MW solar park with 200 MW / 800 MWh battery is planned for the site. ==See also==