Queensland's largest and oldest coal-fired power station could close six years early, impacting hundreds of workers. The shutdown has sparked concerns about how other industries in the Gladstone region will continue to be supported in the future.
00:00The 50-year-old Gladstone Power Station could soon be switched off.
00:07Local communities have pretty much got their hands tied on what's going to happen.
00:10Very disappointing, a lot of families depend on the work out there.
00:13Mining giant Rio Tinto announced it could shut the asset in 2029, six years earlier than scheduled.
00:21About 350 workers would lose their jobs, thousands of others are also in limbo.
00:27There's 4,500 workers in the three smelters in Gladstone and this power station is required to keep those operating at the moment.
00:36There will be certainly some people in the Gladstone region right now who are worried about the future.
00:40What I can say to you is that as the Mayor I'm working very hard with the State Government and the Federal Government.
00:44In a statement the mining company said no final decision has been made
00:49and there is potential to extend the life of the power station should market and other factors allow.
00:56Operations won't be immediately impacted and energy supply contracts will remain in place.
01:03While Gladstone has been preparing for the power station's eventual closure, this announcement has caught many off guard.
01:10There are questions now about what will happen to the other regional industries which are heavily reliant on the station.
01:17What it means is that whether it's three years, five years, seven years, that we can start planning for Gladstone to be powered by renewable energy back with storage.
01:26You cannot run smelters on renewable energy. You don't have the generation capacity nor the battery technology available at the moment.
01:35The Queensland Premier insists there will be certainty after the State's energy roadmap is released next Friday.
01:42We need to get an energy plan that is affordable, reliable and sustainable.
01:47And if we do that, we can make sure we underpin manufacturing for years to come.
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