Callide C4 to remain offline until the end of August

One of Queensland’s biggest power generators will be offline until at least the end of August after yet another delay, in a blow for beleaguered government-owned outfit CS Energy.

One of Queensland’s biggest power generators will be offline until at least the end of August after yet another delay, in a blow for beleaguered government-owned outfit CS Energy.

Callide C4 won’t return to service until August 31 at least, with CS Energy announcing the ninth delay to the station’s reopening.

The Callide Power Station near Biloela. Picture;William Debois

The delay comes less than a fortnight since the state government was accused by the Opposition of undertaking the “biggest ministerial cover-ups in Queensland’s history” after the long-awaited release of an independent expert report into dual disasters at Callide Power Station.

CS Energy chief executive Darren Busine, in a statement late on Friday, confirmed Unit C4 would be plugged back into the grid on August 31 — a three-week delay.

The government-owned corporation owns Callide C4 in partnership with IG Power.

The unprecedented failure of Callide C4 in May 2021 cut power to 470,000 homes and businesses.

Mr Busine said the change in date was “necessary to provide additional time for testing and quality assurance for safely returning Unit C4 to operation”.

“For many of our people at Callide, this is the first time they have been involved in the commissioning of a new coal-fired generator and they have my full support in taking all the necessary precautions to ensure that C4 is returned to service in a safe and methodical manner,” he said.

CS Energy CEO Darren Busine. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

“While this is a complex and challenging project, we are making good progress. The final electrical rectification works on C4 have been completed and construction of the new C4 cooling tower is progressing to schedule.”

State government penny-pinching was responsible for the catastrophic explosion that crippled the Callide C power station, according to independent forensic engineer Dr Sean Brady.

The 2021 explosion was caused by the failure of a battery back-up system that was “not fit for purpose”, with the 2017 procurement process of the charger described as “flawed from start to finish”.

Originally published as Callide C4 to remain offline until the end of August