After over 52 years of service, AGL will retire the Liddell Power Station today to turn it into an industrial renewable energy hub with a 500 MW grid-scale battery.
Since its inception in 1971, the Liddell Power Station has played an important role in powering homes and companies across the country, as well as making substantial contributions to the NSW Upper Hunter.
AGL CEO Damien Nicks thanked Liddell workers past and present for their contributions to the Upper Hunter region and the National Electricity Market, as well as the site’s future transformation into the Hunter Energy Hub and our engagement with the Wonnarua people.
“After providing the market with notice of closure more than seven years ago, Liddell has finally reached the end of its technical life and the time has now come to safely and respectfully retire the station and join the change to a cleaner future,” Nicks said.
Nicks stated that the Liddell Power Station has played an essential part in defining the Upper Hunter region over the past 52 years, generating thousands of jobs for numerous generations of people, and I appreciate them for their contribution.
“Liddell has also played a significant role in powering Australian lives, on average, supplying enough electricity for more than one million homes over its lifespan,” Nicks noted.
According to him, today marks the end of one chapter for the site but also the start of another, with AGL’s plans to develop it into the Hunter Energy Hub.
“We already have plans underway to build a 500 MW grid-scale battery on the site, a feasibility study into a hydrogen facility is underway, and we are also exploring options with potential partners in industries such as solar, wind, and waste-to-energy. The closure of Liddell and the repurposing of the site as an industrial renewable energy hub is an example of AGL’s climate transition plan in action – it will reduce AGL’s emissions by around 8 million tonnes per year – the equivalent to approximately 5 percent of emissions from Australia’s electricity sector in 2021,” he added.
AGL Chief Operating Officer Markus Brokhof explained the station’s phased demolition and the emphasis on recycling and reusing components.
“The demolition process is estimated to commence in early 2024 and take around two years to complete. More than 90 percent of the materials in the power station will be recycled, including 70,000 tonnes of steel which is more steel than there is in the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Critical infrastructure, such as transmission connections to the grid, will be retained as the site transitions into the Hunter Energy Hub,” Brokhof said.
According to AGL Liddell General Manager Len McLachlan, AGL’s strategy has been centred on helping the staff and community.
“Over half of our Liddell employees will transfer to Bayswater, with the rest deciding to take retirement – as they are at that point in life – or seek other opportunities. Today we celebrate the people of Liddell who have helped to power the nation over the past 52 years,” McLachlan added.
