STAFF WRITERS

 

TWO planned outages are currently underway at Loy Yang.

The $93.8 million projects are being delivered by external contractors and internal employees over an estimated 200,000+ work hours and will help ensure Loy Yang’s availability and reliability for the coming years.

The outages are being undertaken on Loy Yang’s Unit 4 and Dredger 15, two vital pieces of the plant that contribute to Loy Yang supplying electricity for Victorian homes and businesses.

During the Unit 4 outage, major repairs and replacements will be done, as well as preventative maintenance on everything from the unit’s turbine and generator through to its electrical switchboards and boiler. The Dredger 15 outage focuses on structural repairs and axle replacements on its steering crawlers, and overall machine maintenance activities.

“Loy Yang’s record levels of availability during the past financial year highlight the significance of planned outages in AGL’s ability to continue to meet the energy needs of customers, as well as to invest in the company’s growing pipeline of renewable energy projects,” Loy Yang General Manager, Christo van Niekerk said.

“Extensive planning and preparation have gone into ensuring that the two outages will be completed safely and that it will set Loy Yang up to continue to deliver power to our state.”

The outages will also provide a boost to local businesses as they service the needs of the up to 850 additional contract workers involved in the outage.

Unit 4 is one of four generator units at Loy Yang Power Station. The power station has a nameplate capacity of 2210MW and generates around 30 per cent of Victoria’s power requirements.

Dredger 15 is one of four dredgers operating at Loy Yang Mine, which supplies Loy Yang A and Loy Yang B with the coal required to generate electricity.

The Unit 4 outage will last approximately 55 days and represents $90 million investment in the plant.

The Dredger 15 outage will last approximately 54 days and represents $3.8 investment in the mine.

Prioritising maintenance of the plant is essential for ensuring efficiency, reliability, and safety. A major outage was completed on Unit 1 last year and two more major outages on Unit 2 and Unit 3 in the coming years. A major outage will also be completed on Dredger 16 next year.