One of Queensland’s major power generators is back in operation after being taken offline due to an explosion in April.
The Callide Power Station, located near Biloela in central Queensland and owned by the state, resumed operations over the weekend. The C3 coal-fired unit, which had been severely damaged by a pressure spike inside its boiler on April 4, was brought back online early Sunday morning.
Despite the explosion, no power outages were reported at the time, with CS Energy — the state-owned operator — confirming there was enough generation capacity to meet demand.
Repairs Completed Ahead of Revised Deadline
A CS Energy spokesperson confirmed that the C3 unit was returned to service shortly before 3am on June 1. Although the Queensland government had originally aimed for repairs to be completed by May 30, the company had revised that target to June 2 due to the scale of the damage. Around 100 workers were involved in round-the-clock shifts to carry out the repairs.
A History of Disruption
This isn’t the first major incident at the Callide plant. In May 2021, an explosion at the C4 unit triggered a blackout that affected nearly 500,000 homes and businesses — from the New South Wales border to north of Cairns — marking Queensland’s worst power outage in more than a decade.
Government and Union Response
Premier David Crisafulli welcomed the unit’s return to service but emphasized the importance of sustained investment in maintenance.
“It’s good news, but reliability won’t improve unless we commit to long-term maintenance,” he said. “We’re still a way off from seeing the full benefits of that investment.”
The Callide facility consists of two plants — B and C — each with two generation units. CS Energy owns Callide B outright and shares ownership of Callide C with Czech company 7GI in a 50-50 joint venture.
The most recent explosion resulted in the resignation of CS Energy’s CEO and several general managers.
Union Praises Workers and Transparency
The Mining and Energy Union welcomed the restart but expressed ongoing concern about safety at the plant. District vice-president Shane Brunker said he hadn’t expected the unit to return to service on time.
“We’re glad to see it back online — it’ll definitely help the grid,” Brunker said. “The maintenance crews deserve real credit for getting it done.”
He also acknowledged improved communication from CS Energy’s current leadership.
“From what I’ve seen and heard from delegates, all inspections and repairs were properly completed. Transparency from management has been better this time, and we’re hopeful that continues,” he said.
