A 150 metre long ‘super load’ has travelled by road from the Port of Brisbane to the Western Downs with a powerful delivery for CS Energy’s Kogan Creek Power Station.
Six prime movers transported a new 334 tonne generator stator in a custom-engineered trailer designed to handle its weight and size.
The total load weighed in at 675 tonnes when also including the trucks and trailer and was accompanied by police and other escort vehicles for the 307 kilometre journey.
The convoy arrived at the power station early in the morning of 18 March after travelling over three nights along a carefully planned route to ensure the safety of road users and minimise traffic disruptions.
The arrival of the generator stator marks the end of a journey that began in Germany where it was manufactured by Siemens and included a seven-week ocean voyage.
The generator stator, along with a smaller 90 tonne generator rotor, will be installed during a planned major overhaul of the power station later this year.
Kogan Creek Power Station is one of Australia’s most efficient and technically advanced coal-fired generators, capable of powering almost one million homes.
In a statement announcing the milestone, Treasurer and Minister for Energy David Janetzki said the investment was about maintaining a stable and dependable energy supply for Queenslanders.
“Our Electricity Maintenance Guarantee ensures Queensland’s energy assets are never left in a state of neglect like they were under Labor,” Treasurer Janetzki said.
“Upgrades like this one at Kogan Creek are essential to keeping the system running efficiently which ultimately helps put downward pressure on energy prices."
CS Energy CEO Brian Gillespie said the government owned corporation had made the strategic decision to replace Kogan Creek’s generator as the power station entered its mid-life point.
“Installing a new generator is a more cost-effective and time-efficient solution compared to overhauling the existing generator, which will be retained as a critical spare,” Mr Gillespie said.
“It has been a complex logistical project many months in the planning to transport this precious cargo across the world including help from the Department of Transport and Main Roads and Western Downs Regional Council.
“The new generator stator has been unloaded onto a storage area at the power station and will be lifted by crane into the turbine hall once the current generator is removed during the overhaul.”
In a large power station like Kogan Creek, the generator rotor and stator work together to produce electricity. The rotor spins to produce an electromagnetic field, and the stator, which remains stationary, converts that magnetic field into electricity for distribution to the grid.