Synergy blows up boiler in spectacular demolition of a former coal power plant

The W.A. government owned utility Synergy has demolished a 35m-high boiler at its old Kwinana site on Sunday, the latest piece of the former coal power station to be removed.

Small explosive charges were laid under the structure in a controlled explosion, but did not completely bring it down. 

The work is the latest milestone in decommissioning the old site, said Synergy CEO Kurt Baker in a post on LinkedIn.

“The old Kwinana coal fired power station has been a landmark in this area since the 1970s and it is exciting to see the careful work underway to transform this site,” he said.

The boiler is just the latest removal of ancient coal equipment on the site, following the end of a delicate demolition process of two chimney stacks in October.

These structures, which once dominated the town’s skyline, were taken apart brick-by-brick from March using a state-of-the-art mast climber platform in order to avoid damaging surrounding infrastructure. 

The 400 megawatt (MW) Kwinana power station,  which is about 40km south of Perth, was built in the 1970s and burned oil, coal, and gas at different times. It closed in 2015 and will be completely decommissioned by the end of 2027, Synergy promises. 

Taking it apart is tricky because it’s surrounded by other electricity facilities – the 240MW Cockburn gas power station is metres away to the south, and the 292 MW Kwinana gas power station is touching distance to the north. 

To the east of each gas plant are their big, corresponding substations, followed by the 100 MW and 200 MW Kwinana batteries.

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