Another boiler demolished at shuttered coal power plant in spectacular explosion

Western Australian energy generator and retailer Synergy has demolished the second boiler at the former Kwinana coal-fired power station south of Perth on Sunday, part of the site’s ongoing decommissioning.

The work has been going on since early last year when Synergy began systematically deconstructing the two iconic chimney stacks that had dominated the region’s skyline since the 1970s.

The chimney stacks were taken apart piece-by-piece to avoid anything falling on nearby infrastructure, such as the new big battery, but the first of the power station’s two boilers was demolished in a controlled explosion last November.

The second of the two boilers at the site was similarly demolished on Sunday using small explosive charges.

The demolition was carried out early on Sunday morning at 9am, serving as a somewhat rude awakening for many nearby residents who reported feeling the blast many kilometres away.

Synergy says that “strict safety and environmental protocols” were put in place along with a temporary exclusion zone. As can be seen in the video, jets of water on all sides of the demolition were used to trap airborne debris from escaping the immediate area.

“The old Kwinana coal-fired power station has been a local landmark since the 1970s and the ongoing deconstruction is transforming the site, which is also home to three gas fired generation units, and two of Synergy’s battery energy storage systems,” said Kurt Baker, Synergy CEO.

“In addition to the removal of the heavy-steel boilers, the two chimney stacks are being dismantled. One was completed last year and the second is about 40 per cent complete.

“Synergy’s careful and responsible approach to the deconstruction has enabled more than 90 per cent of materials including steel, copper and aluminium from the site to be recycled.” 

Located approximately 40 kilometres south of Perth, the Kwinana Power Station was originally commissioned in 1970 and at its height boasted a nameplate capacity of 900 megawatts (MW), and could use as fuel stock either oil, coal, or gas.

Even though demolition is continuing, the Kwinana Power Station site has already begun to be repurposed for the energy transition, playing home to two battery energy storage systems with a combined 300 MW/1,100 MWh.

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