Liddell Power Station closed its doors to coal fired power generation two years ago, and nearby Bayswater isn’t far behind. Now it’s full steam ahead looking to the future of the site and how it can continue to be a powerhouse for the community.
While there is a lot to reflect on over the last four decades at Bayswater Power Station, there is a focus on the future as they prepare for closure and beyond.
Seth Pathiyil is the head of the Hunter Energy Hub and after being a part of the closure of Liddell Power Station two years ago, he is excited for the future of power generation in the Hunter.
“One thing that excites me most about what’s happening on our site is this opportunity to create a legacy for future generations by making a difference through new jobs, at the same time economic development for the region and supporting the community for the greater good,” he shared.
“AGL, as a business, I personally believe we’ve got the right leadership, we’ve got the right mission, strategy and most importantly, the will to make it real.”
But just what is that future, and when will it happen? These are questions we put to Seth to help paint a picture for the community of what is in store.
Bayswater Power Station is scheduled for closure in 2033; a more accurate timeline will be able to be set as the station moves through routine maintenance over the coming years.
“Bayswater obviously is a much better design than Liddell to start off, because it was built after Eraring and Liddell, so it’s a much newer technology and a much better design I would probably say from an engineering perspective, but obviously a much higher capacity plant which is why it is capable of delivering about 20 per cent of the state’s electricity needs,” Seth explained.
“Based on the condition of the plant, the way we’ve operated it, and the care we’ve given, we estimate that the timeline of 2033 is probably right given what we’re seeing in its operation, the failures and the money that we have spent.”
Upon closure the Bayswater site will go through the same decommissioning and cleanup process as Liddell and then become part of the Hunter Energy Hub that will include solar, solar thermal, battery and other green industry opportunities.
“When we embarked on this new chapter to repurpose the sites, what we came up with is a unique opportunity to rediscover them,” Seth said.
“So how are we doing that? By investing and building the next generation of assets for the electric age, by transitioning our portfolio from thermal to renewables and firming technologies and by transforming this site into what we call the Hunter Energy Hub.”
The Hub will provide a unique opportunity to repurpose the existing infrastructure while attracting new industry to the area including green metals, renewable manufacturing, resource recycling, bulk storage and more.
The AGL team were trailblazers in how they managed the Liddell closure in terms of staff and the community, and the same process will be undertaken with Bayswater.
“We based our strategy purely on our values and what we thought was the right thing to do for our people in this region,” Seth shared of the way they managed the Liddell closure.
“We have given a commitment to the Bayswater staff that we will start engaging with them in that journey as well, and we have already had three meetings with them.
“The intention of Hunter Energy Hub is to build industries or to set up services which will encourage industries to come and set up shop on our site.”
Any operations that are AGL owned will be able to employ staff from within, for new businesses coming to the area AGL will work with them to help identify ways to upskill to make them more appealing to future employers.
FORTY YEARS AND COUNTING
The 40th anniversary of Bayswater Power Station presents a fitting opportunity to reflect on the remarkable legacy of this cornerstone of NSW’s energy network. Bayswater has supplied enough electricity to power the equivalent of 2.5 million homes each day for the forty years since then.
