Valve upgrades key to EnergyAustralia’s summer maintenance plan

EnergyAustralia is working to address increased electricity demand with a raft of maintenance and upgrade measures across its fleet of power stations – which includes valve and rotor replacements, as well as bringing new energy resources online.

Under its multi-million-dollar summer readiness program, teams at EnergyAustralia’s power stations including Yallourn, Mount Piper, Tallawarra, Newport, Jeeralang and Hallett, have been undertaking major upgrades and regular maintenance in the lead-up to this summer.

EnergyAustralia Executive – Energy Operations, Sue Elliott, said, “Our summer readiness program has been underway for several months in an effort to ensure all our generation assets are available on the highest of demand days. 

“We have been investing in our power stations through preventative maintenance and major upgrades, and our people have been working hard to ensure our power stations are there for the homes and businesses that rely on us to stay cool over summer.”

EnergyAustralia Summer Readiness – key activities: 

Major generators

• Newport (VIC 510MW) – completed pre-summer maintenance including upgrading valves
• Yallourn (VIC 1440MW) – completed a major integrity outage for Unit 3 and the major outage for Unit 2 is underway as part of a $400 million investment in Yallourn, to ensure its reliability, safety, and performance ahead of its closure mid-2028. Yallourn will also have two short outages to clean coal boilers over summer timed to suit market and weather conditions
• Mount Piper (NSW 1430MW) – readiness maintenance including works undertaken on the Unit 2 generator
• Tallawarra A (NSW 435MW) – outage completed during low demand period to improve its safe and reliable operation, and to undertake any necessary works prior to summer
• Jeeralang (VIC 450MW) – completed its pre-summer maintenance program, including bushfire and demineralisation plant readiness
• Hallett (SA 235MW) – undergoing major annual inspections including life assessments of its rotors, replacements of combustors and generator oil hoses.  

New assets 

• Dispatchable energy: Tallawarra B (NSW 316MW) – construction of the new gas peaking power station expected to be completed and commissioned in early 2024
• Storage: Darlington and Riverina Battery System (NSW 150MW) – new asset built by Edify and operated by EnergyAustralia connected to the NSW grid in September 2023

To support renewable energy and its commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050, EnergyAustralia is making significant investments to scale up its capabilities. This includes NSW’s newest gas power station, Tallawarra B, which is set to be online in early 2024.

Ms Elliott said, “The hot and dry El Nino weather ahead means demand is likely to be even higher so this year’s summer readiness preparations take on additional importance.

“In September this year, EnergyAustralia connected to New South Wales largest energy storage system, the Riverina Stage 2 and Darlington Point batteries. The system has a two-hour duration providing enough energy for around 49,000 NSW homes. 

“Set to supply reliable power to an additional 150,000 homes during peak periods, Tallawarra B can ramp up and down to support the system in all weather conditions.

“Our growing portfolio of renewable firming investments forms part of our plan to deploy over $5 billion in capital with partners in energy storage and renewables firming initiatives,” Ms Elliott said.

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