WATCH: Defunct Hazelwood power station chimneys blown up
Hazelwood Power Station’s eight chimneys, each containing 50kg of asbestos, have been blown up in a controlled demolition | WATCH
The eight 137m chimneys in the defunct Hazelwood Power Station came crashing down this afternoon in a controlled demolition.
A big cloud of white dust shot over the remains of the chimneys after they toppled largely intact until they crashed into the ground.
The long-planned demolition occurred has been delayed from its original time of 11am, as large crowds watch from a safe distance and via livestreams.
The chimneys fell one by one, about four seconds apart just before 12.30pm.
Site owner Engie assured locals that asbestos inside its chimneys was not a threat.
Engie unveiled its demolition plan to the Latrobe Valley community earlier this month.. Demolition manager Tom McDowall said that after a thorough risk assessment process, the company had decided that “controlled collapse”, or detonation, was the safest option.
BOOM! 💥 After 55 years on the skyline near Morwell, the eight 137m chimneys at the former Hazelwood Power Station are gone after demolition this morning. pic.twitter.com/IC5xm641p0
— Paul Dowsley (@pauldowsley7) May 25, 2020
There is about 50kg of asbestos in each chimney and about 12 tonnes of concrete.
Mr McDowall said the detonations would not fragment the asbestos and that it would stay contained upon demolition.
“It’s a bonded product, it’s not a fragmentation product, it’s secure within its structure,” he said.
“It then hits the ground and becomes an asbestos product on the ground.” Mr McDowall said great care would be taken to conduct the demolition in prime weather conditions - a southeast to northeast direction with low wind speed - to control dust and plume from the explosions.
The site will be monitored for asbestos following the demolition in line with state laws.
The site has been a headache for the Latrobe Valley community since 2014, when a bushfire spread to the coal mine and burned for 45 days.
Hazelwood Power Corporation was fined $1.56 million on Tuesday in the Supreme Court of Victoria for putting employees and nearby residents at risk by failing to prepare for the fire.
Herald Sun, AAP