On October 13th, 1959 the Victorian Parliament approved the construction of the Hazelwood Power Station in the Latrobe Valley. For more than 50 years it operated as a leading energy generator contributing to 25 per cent of Victoria’s electricity requirements and more than five per cent of Australia’s demand. The power station was made up of eight generating units that collectively produced 1600MW of electricity. Its long history was a tribute to all the hardworking employees and contractors that were involved in the Hazelwood site over the years.
On November 3rd, 2016 it was announced that Hazelwood would close all eight generating units in 2017. It was a very difficult decision for ENGIE. We conducted extensive research to seek alternative solutions but we were committed to our strategy of low carbon energy production and the site was no longer economically viable. The site was closed in March 2017. The Hazelwood Rehabilitation project commenced shortly after the site’s closure. ENGIE is committed to delivering a safe, stable and sustainable landscape which protects the site’s natural environment and leaves a strong and lasting legacy for the local community.
The chimney demolition, one of the major milestones in the rehabilitation and remediation of the former Hazelwood Power Station and Mine, is approaching. Demolition of the Power Station chimneys, along with the extensive rehabilitation and demolition works across the Mine and broader 4,000 hectare site, represents significant progress towards a safe, stable and sustainable end state.
You can find more information and the chimney fell live stream on our dedicated microsite:
https://www.hazelwoodrehabilitation.com.au/
