‘One-off’ routine maintenance blunder by APA Group sparked mass NT power outage

A ‘ONE-OFF’ blunder that occurred during routine maintenance at the NT’s largest power station led to the widespread electricity outage that plunged the Top End into darkness on Wednesday.

A sign on a business in Darwin that closed early due to the power outage. Picture: Che Chorley

• Top End businesses lose stock, forced to close early due to blackout
• ‘Gas supply interruption’ at Channel Island caused major blackout in the Top End
• List of suburbs affected by the mass power outage across the Top End
• Power outages across Darwin suburbs, Palmerston and Katherine, according to Power and Water

A “ONE-OFF” blunder that occurred during routine maintenance at the Northern Territory’s largest power station led to the widespread electricity outage that plunged the Top End into darkness on Wednesday.

APA Group, the company that owns the pipelines that supply gas to Channel Island Power Station, confirmed that during routine maintenance on Wednesday a “one-off technical issue” caused gas supply to be temporarily interrupted to the power station.

Traffic lights across Darwin city and its suburbs went out during peak hour. Picture: Che Chorley

MORE NT POLITICS NEWS

1000 jobs safe as McArthur River Mine wins ministerial approval for new management plan

$300m Darwin ship lift gets the all-clear for construction to begin

NT government ended contracts with 26 quarantine hotels in July, raising questions about lack of surge capabilities

APA Group, Australia’s largest natural gas infrastructure business, has not yet elaborated on what the “technical issue” was.

“Our team mobilised quickly to fix the issue and supply was restored in less than two hours. We regret this one-off event,” a spokesman said.

The widespread electricity outage on Wednesday afternoon plunged up to 40,000 Top End homes and businesses into two hours of darkness and heat.

Authorities confirmed a “gas supply interruption” at Channel Island cut the power across the Darwin and Katherine network.

OFFER EXTENDED: Amazing NT News subscription offer: Read everything for $1

Almost instantly, at 3.53pm, suburbs across Darwin, Palmerston and as far south as Katherine went dark as the interconnected grid that supplies the region ran out of electricity.

The power outage caused traffic lights to fail across the capital city just as public servants were packing up for the drive home, airconditioners failed and Territorians sweltered as the mercury peaked at 35C.