Retiring carbon-intensive assets for ENGIE

Hazelwood Power Station in Victoria, Australia, operated for more than 50 years as a leading energy generator, contributing up to 25% of Victoria’s electricity requirements and more than 5% of Australia’s demand. The power station produced 1,600 megawatts (nominal) of electricity.

In alignment with its strategy of transitioning to low carbon energy production and the gradual withdrawal from coal-fired power generation, ENGIE the French-based multinational, announced the closure of the Hazelwood site in 2016, and completed closure the following year. In 2017, ENGIE’s Hazelwood Rehabilitation project commenced with the purpose of delivering a safe, stable and sustainable landform that protects the site’s natural environment and leaves a strong and lasting legacy for the local community.

Since 2016, ERM has been the primary environmental advisor to ENGIE Hazelwood on this major project of national significance. The Hazelwood power complex includes a number of assets requiring closure, decommissioning, demolition, or rehabilitation. In addition to the power station, other key assets include a 500 hectare cooling water pond, 1,200 hectare mine void, 550 hectares of overburden dumps and 100 hectares of coal ash ponds.

ERM has provided strategic advice that has optimized and created efficiencies for the project. ERM developed the initiative and led the approval applications to repurpose an existing licensed coal ash pond into an on-site asbestos waste landfill to accept the large volumes of asbestos waste generated from the demolition of the power station. The approvals strategy developed by ERM avoided the need to construct a new dedicated asbestos cell, thus significantly improving the approval pathway.

ERM also played a significant role in the development of closure and rehabilitation plans for the EPA-licensed ash landfills located on the Hazelwood site. This included the independent verification and approval of landfill capping designs and the independent audit of the landfill caps’ construction.

ERM’s consultants have supported ENGIE in many aspects, from stakeholder engagement to project management and technical advice on air quality, solid and hazardous waste, hydrogeology, construction quality assurance and demolition.