Callide C Cooling Towers Rebuild

The Callide C Cooling Towers Rebuild Project is a major project to ensure the safe return to service of the Callide C Power Station in 2024.

CS Energy owns Callide C in a joint venture with IG Power and the power station is comprised of two generating units - Unit C3 and Unit C4.

We made the decision to rebuild both the Unit C3 and Unit C4 cooling towers following inspections and advice by independent engineering experts (as both towers are of the same design and age). This followed the partial structural collapse of the Unit C3 cooling tower in October 2022.

The rebuild of the Callide C cooling towers is a unique and highly complex project. These are large structures – each tower is 200 metres long, almost six storeys high and nearly half an Olympic pool wide.

CS Energy is working with specialist contractors IWC Australasia with UGL as their major subcontractor. Arnolds is delivering the electrical work, with DB Schenker managing the delivery of materials. Demex was also involved with the demolition of the existing towers.

Approximately 300 people are working at site on this project and a logistics specialist has coordinated the movement of more than 1,000 tonnes of freight from all corners of the world.

UNIT C3 COOLING TOWER

Construction of the new Callide C3 cooling tower began in the second half of 2023, following the demolition of its original cooling tower.

The new C3 tower was operational in March 2024 and the unit was returned to service on 1 April.

Image: Water vapour rises from the new C3 cooling tower.

Unit C4 cooling tower

Construction of the new C4 cooling tower is underway, following the demolition of the old tower last year. 

Unit C4 is forecast to make a staged return to service in the middle of this year.

 
Image: Six fan cowls are now in place on the new Unit C4 cooling tower.