EnergyAustralia, Melbourne, Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based and listed CLP Group, will close the Yallourn power station in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, Australia, in mid-2028, four years ahead of schedule, and build a giant battery instead, Abc.net.au reports.
The brown coal-fired plant produces about a fifth of the state’s electricity and is Victoria’s oldest power station.
It employs 500 permanent workers plus hundreds of contractors and was previously scheduled to close in 2032.
EnergyAustralia managing director Catherine Tanna confirmed the plant would close in mid 2028.
“The world of energy is rapidly changing,” Ms Tanna said.
“As we transition to cleaner forms, getting that approach right is something I’ve long been passionate about.”
Ms Tanna said EnergyAustralia would build a 350 megawatt, utility-scale battery in the Latrobe Valley by the end of 2026.
The battery will be located at the company’s Jeeralang gas plant.
“This will provide energy for up to four hours at a time, and is larger than any battery operating in the world today,” she said.
“We are ensuring energy storage is built before Yallourn exits the system, enabling more renewables to enter the system.
Minister says state will have enough power
The Victorian government is confident the state will have enough electricity following the closure of the station.
Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said there would be a further 5,000 megawatts of new power generation in the next seven years.
“On top of that, the transition agreement also includes EnergyAustralia building a large battery, a 350-megawatt battery,” she said.
