The Callide power plant in Central Queensland is back in the news for all the wrong reasons. An explosion on April 4 took one generator out of service until May 30. The cause of this recent incident is still under investigation but it sadly calls to mind the 2021 Greenwood Avenue explosion that knocked out power to almost 500,000 homes. In retort, the Queensland Opposition has charged that the government is covering up details of what transpired.
The incident at the Callide power plant led to an explosive and uncontrolled release of gas. The damage to cladding and lagging inside this facility was substantial. The generator that was impacted was performing scheduled maintenance to remove a coal clinker–a hardened ash. Until, of course, everything changed with the blast. CS Energy, which operates the power plant, declared in a draft media release that the generator would be down for a specified duration. They hope to have it repainted and back in service by May 30.
Timeline of Events
Timeline of events After the explosion, documents obtained by the Queensland government detail what happened in the hours and days that followed. The draft media release noted:
“This resulted in a release of gas from the furnace in the boiler house, causing damage to cladding and lagging in the area.” – CS Energy draft media release
The draft clarified that when the event happened, no personnel were in the impacted area. It highlighted the safety measures taken by making the entire zone inaccessible.
CS Energy has confirmed to us that all the other generating units across both Callide Power Station and Kogan Creek Power Station are working as normal and available to deliver Queenslanders the energy they need. Nonetheless, the Opposition is still very troubled by the subsequent failure to communicate about this incident.
Political Fallout
After the blast, CS Energy and the state government came under serious criticism. The CEO of CS Energy resigned soon after the event. This decision sparked fears over possible leadership departures at the agency. David Janetzki, Queensland Opposition Leader’s chief of staff, called them all “categorically false,” claiming they were the reason for CS Energy’s failed communication campaign.
“Any claim my office prevented CS Energy from releasing holding statements is categorically false,” – David Janetzki
Furthermore, a spokesperson for Janetzki’s office stated that despite misrepresentations in CS Energy’s statements, there should have been more effective communication regarding the incident. The spokesperson further clarified that the minister has since instructed that all other incidents be notified in a timely manner.
Shannon Fentiman, shadow member of the Opposition, asked who in government made the decision to hide the information.
“Was it Premier David Crisafulli, was it David Janetzki, was it Jarrod Bleijie, was it Ros Bates?” – Shannon Fentiman
To this day, Fentiman maintains that all key members were briefed on the explosion’s dangers on the same day it exploded. He suggested there was an intentional effort to misinform the public.
Official Responses
In response to these claims, the government has argued that CS Energy poorly handled stakeholder engagement and was unable to convey the severity of the incident. Jarrod Bleijie, Minister for Employment, Skills, Apprenticeships and Training reminded everyone that his office receives daily briefings from Workplace Health and Safety on every incident. He assured us that something really had happened.
The persistent culture war opposed to transparency around the Callide power plant explosion illustrates that division poignantly. Only one thing separates government officials from opposition members on this important issue. Critics argue that clear communication is essential for public safety and trust, especially when it involves events with potential implications for energy supply.
