First of two chimney stacks marking one of oldest fossil fuel generators dismantled, piece by piece

The first of two chimney stacks that have dominated the surrounds of the old Kwinana Power Station south of Perth has been completely disassembled, marking a significant step in the decommissioning of the former power station.

Originally built in the 1970s and burning a variety of fuels including oil, coal, and gas, the Kwinana Power Station closed in 2015 and, according to owner and operator Synergy, will be completely decommissioned by the end of 2027.

Synergy began disassembling the power station’s two iconic chimney stacks in March using a state-of-the-art mast climber platform to deconstruct the concrete and brick chimney – piece by piece – with as little impact to the surrounding area as possible.

Chimney stacks are often taken down in one spectacular events with carefully laid explosive, but this was not possible at Kwinana because of the surrounding infrastructure.

And according to a post on Synergy’s LinkedIn account on Monday, the first of the two chimneys has now been completely removed.

LinkedIn embed: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/synergy-retail-electricity-corporation-_one-of-two-prominent-chimney-stacks-at-synergy-activity-7380804126823215104-99_Y/

The Kwinana site now plays host to only three gas turbines as well as the two Kwinana battery installations that now total more than 300 MW and 1,100 MWh.

“Synergy’s Kwinana location is a microcosm of the energy transition,” said Kurt Baker, Synergy’s chief executive officer, speaking in March.

“We are currently in the process of deconstructing the chimney stacks, which involves erecting a state-of-the-art bespoke mast climber platform.

“The platform is being used in conjunction with small excavators, to progressively deconstruct the concrete and brick structures inwards which will ensure no impact to the surrounding area.”