Blackouts on way as power plants dry up

The Australian
March 09, 2007

SOUTHEAST Queensland's 2.5 million residents are facing power blackouts and level-five water restrictions as the region's two main power stations are forced to cut production because of the worsening drought.

As unions warned of possible job losses in the power sector, the Queensland Water Commission announced yesterday that water supplies for cooling the Tarong and Swanbank stations would be slashed from April 10 as part of the level-five restrictions.
Supplies of electricity from the two stations to NSW under national power grid arrangements were boosted this year as dam levels fell.

Swanbank and Tarong took 2450 megalitres of drinking water from the Wivenhoe Dam - Brisbane's main water source - during January and February. The stations have been allowed to continue using Wivenhoe water despite warnings from experts that the dam could run dry within 18 months. Tarong's water will be cut by almost half to 12 megalitres a day. Swanbank's supply will be cut by 25 per cent to 15 megalitres.

Explaining why the move had not been made earlier, Deputy Premier Anna Bligh said generation could be cut because winter was approaching. Power supplies would be secure, she insisted. "I am pleased to confirm that these water savings will be achieved without threat to the security of electricity supply to the region," she said.

Queensland Electrical Trades Union assistant secretary Peter Simpson said several generating units would have to be mothballed. "You can't shut down that capacity without affecting something," Mr Simpson said. "If there is a breakdown now at Stanwell or somewhere else, the whole system will be under great strain. The security we had in the system is gone."

Mr Simpson said power workers had been protected against redundancy in state-certified work agreements, but the federal Work Choices laws made them vulnerable. "The protections they had are not there any more."

Former Queensland Department of Energy director-general Scott Flavell said reducing output at the two stations, especially Swanbank, could have serious implications for power supply. "Swanbank is a big load centre and a key part of the transmission infrastructure. It needs to be handled very carefully."

The National Electricity Market Management Company, which runs Australia's power grid, has previously rejected assurances by the Beattie Government that power supplies would be secure if output at the two stations was reduced.

CS Energy chief executive Mark Chatfield said the 480-megawatt Swanbank B generator, which uses most water at the Swanbank complex, would operate at reduced capacity. "Staff have been preparing for the likelihood of level-five restrictions in recent months and have made substantial cuts to water use," Mr Chatfield said.

Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney said both stations should be shut down immediately. "Every step should be taken to safeguard the rapidly shrinking water supply and if that means selling less power to NSW, so be it," Mr Seeney said.

Southeast Queensland residents will today learn more details of the level-five water restrictions.