PRESS RELEASE: Wallerawang Power Station transformation on track to attract new industries to the region
WALLERAWANG, NSW 2845 – 23 February, 2022. Greenspot and its demolition partner Liberty Industrial successfully carried out a controlled explosive demolition of the Unit 7 Boiler structure at Wallerawang Power Station near Lithgow this morning. The demolition is another major milestone that paves the way for transformation of the site into an integrated multi-use precinct.
“We are highly motivated to speed the transformation of Wallerawang Power Station and attract new investment into the region. This is our second major blast event – after the November 2021 demolition of two chimney stacks and the other boiler”, said Greenspot Founder Neil Schembri. “We are thoroughly energized by the potential for positive impact of this transformation on the local community, economy and jobs.”
Earlier this month, the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment placed Greenspot’s Environmental Impact Statement for a grid-scale battery on public exhibition. The application is for a 500MW/1,000MWh battery with a project value of approximately $400 million.
The battery will help enhance the reliability of the electricity grid and accelerate the development of renewables in New South Wales. This takes on additional significance following the announcement last week that Eraring Power Station, the largest coal-fired power station in Australia, will close in 2025, seven years earlier than originally planned.
“The Wallerawang Power Station was retired in 2014, and we are incredibly mindful of the impact these closures have – not only how they affect the supply and transmission of electricity, but how they affect the lives of workers and whole communities”, said Greenspot CEO Brett Hawkins. “People in Lithgow and the Central-West are resilient and there is a proud legacy of industry and innovation. Renewed business activity is required for future generations to thrive here and we are excited to be part of it.”
Greenspot sees community engagement and input as an essential component of the Power Station’s transformation. “Many of the community members we talk to see an opportunity for this area to chart its own course towards a rejuvenated, sustainable and circular economy”, said Hawkins. “They believe, as we do, that the timing and holistic approach of Wallerawang Power Station’s transformation has the potential to make it a model for other regional communities across Australia.”
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For media enquiries: Brett Hawkins / [email protected] / www.greenspot.com.au
About Greenspot
Greenspot Wallerawang Pty Ltd (Greenspot), a privately owned NSW group, was established to acquire and repurpose property assets, primarily from the fossil fuel industry. The company works with communities, government, Traditional Custodians and other key stakeholders to optimise economic and social outcomes in the transition to a circular, sustainable energy economy.
Greenspot successfully acquired the Wallerawang Power Station in September 2020 after it had been closed in 2014. The acquisition moved forward after Greenspot presented an alternative view to repurpose much of the site’s existing infrastructure into a multi-use precinct and center of economic growth.
