On Tuesday 25 May 2021, a fire broke out at the Callide Power Station near Biloela in Central Queensland.
According to the operator of the facility, CS Energy, the power station was fully evacuated following a fire in the turbine hall at approximately 1.45pm that forced three of the power station’s four generating units offline (the fourth unit was already offline for maintenance). The power station was immediately evacuated and emergency services were called to the site.
CEO of CS Energy, Andrew Bills, said the company was relieved that everyone on-site had been accounted for and was safe, with no injuries.
“[I will] be talking with the Callide workforce this morning to check in on how they are going and to see firsthand the response to the incident.”
“I would like to thank our people on site who responded to the event in such a professional and calm manner.”
“Thank you to our colleagues at AEMO, Powerlink and Energy Queensland who have worked throughout the night to restore power to people’s homes and businesses and keep the grid safe,” he said.
“I would also like to acknowledge the hard work of the emergency services crews who attended the site.”
Mr Bills said CS Energy recognised the events that occurred at Callide had impacted people and businesses throughout Queensland.
“We appreciate the efforts of Queenslanders to conserve energy. I understand blackouts are disruptive. That’s why our focus is on understanding the cause of the incident and importantly what needs to be done to get our units safely back online.”
CS Energy said a full investigation with appropriate experts will be undertaken to understand what has occurred and led to what appears to be a major incident.
Callide Power Station is comprised of two power plants, Callide B and C, each with two generating units, and has a permanent workforce of 260 employees. CS Energy owns 100 per cent of Callide B and owns Callide C in a 50/50 joint venture with InterGen.