November 30, 2014
Stanwell Corporation took its latest community update “on the road” last week allowing its guests to experience what’s been happening lately at The Gumnut Place in Murgon.
Gumnut provides employment for workers with a disability.
It recently unveiled a new $200,000 gas-fired heat-treatment kiln for its pallet business, built with the assistance of a $50,000 grant from the Tarong Community Partnership Fund.
It has also just renewed its laundry contract with Meandu mine operator Downer EDI for three years.
“I want to thank Stanwell and Downer EDI for their fantastic support of Gumnut,” South Burnett CTC CEO Nina Temperton said.
Nina also thanked Giles Plumbing, from Goomeri, for their generous donation back to Gumnut of the profits from plumbing the kiln and Wamuran Timber for their support of the project.
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Highlights from the Stanwell Community Update:
Stanwell CEO Richard Van Breda said the corporation was still dealing with a “very challenging” wholesale electricity supply market
The gas-fired Swanbank E power station will go into “cold storage” at the end of this month.
Stanwell needs to sell power at $40MW; last month it was selling at $23MW however there was “light at the end of the tunnel”.
“We are starting to see gas coming on line; as soon as we see gas prices increasing it will be better for the electricity market,” Mr Van Breda said.
“This won’t necessarily translate into higher retail prices because (the generators) make up just 20 per cent of the retail price.”
Mr Van Breda said Unit 2 at Tarong Power Station would come back on line in the middle of 2015 which will mean there will once again be five units operating at Tarong / Tarong North.
He said the corporation had been making major investments at Tarong and Meandu, including $26 million on the Black Creek diversion; $45 million on Unit 2, Unit 3 and Tarong North; $36 million on heavy trucks at the mine; and $13 million on the Atlas excavator.
“We have made some very tough decisions which have been very hard, but we want Tarong to be here for another 20 years,” Mr Van Breda said.
He said there had been “celebrations” at Stanwell when the Carbon Tax was axed.
“The return to us will be about $50 million a year,” he said.
- Black Creek Dam due to be handed over now
- Unit 4 to undergo a major overhaul in October next year
- Unit 2 will be back online by June
- Tarong North will undergo a major overhaul in 15 months
- Flyash is now being removed from Tarong North by Coal Reuse; Cement Australia are still removing infrastructure from Tarong Power Station
- Coal mine is being extended into the Yarraman State Forest
- Current projected life of the power stations is now 2037
Related article: A Box Of Hot Air Promises A Bright Future
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