Tallawarra recent history

 The 565 hectare site known as Tallawarra Lands is located on the western foreshore of Lake Illawarra, 13 kilometres south of Wollongong in New South Wales.

In previous years, the site housed the 320MW Tallawarra coal-fired power station, which operated between 1954 and 1989.   Owned by Pacific Power, the Tallawarra coal-fired plant was decommissioned over a 10 year period and the majority of its buildings and plant were demolished to ground level.

The site was then earmarked for redevelopment as a new combined cycle plant by Pacific Power.  This proposal was the subject of an extensive Environmental Impact Study, completed at the end of 1998, with Pacific Power subsequently granted development consent by Wollongong City Council.

In February 2003, Pacific Power sold the Tallawarra site to TXU through an open tender process. In 2005, TXU assets, including the Tallawarra power station were acquired by the CLP Group, a investor-owned power business with operations across the Asia Pacific.  Later that year, all TXU operations were rebranded TRUenergy, the new name for CLP’s Australian operations, including the Tallawarra power station.

Construction

In response to rising energy demand, TRUenergy committed to privately fund the new $350 million Tallawarra combined cycle plant, reflecting the company’s confidence in the need for new generating capacity in the growing NSW energy market.

Construction started in November 2006.  TRUenergy appointed global energy infrastructure provider, ALSTOM, to design, supply and construct the power station.

 During initial works, testing was undertaken for asbestos contamination from the old power station. An extensive remediation plan was implemented, under a programme approved by Environmental Protection Agency and independently audited. Under the plan, all potentially contaminated rubble was removed to a registered, on-site repository for burial and capping with clean fill.

In August 2007, over $100 million worth of word-class machinery, including Tallawarra’s massive turbine, generator and emissions stack, was delivered to the site in three late night logistical exercises the size of which has not been previously seen in the Illawarra.

In October 2007, Tallawarra’s emission stack was lifted into place.  Designed to have a low profile, the top of the stack stands lower than the electricity transmission towers that are already on the site.

Now, all Tallawarra power station buildings are complete.  Extensive landscaping will be done to ensure the facilities blend in with the surrounding environment.

Workforce

At its peak, over 600 contractors and 25 TRUenergy employees worked on the construction of Tallawarra.   TRUenergy has also recently recruited staff to operate and maintain the plant, with 90 percent of these roles filled by candidates already living in the Illawarra region.