EBAC Demolition and Site Update

NEWSLETTER

Demolition process Energy Brix Australia (EBAC) held a community information meeting in late December 2018 to outline the demolition process of the old Morwell Power Station.

Lead demolition contractor, Delta Group, showed examples of major demolitions it has managed across Australia and explained the strict standards in place to ensure a successful and safe outcome.

A site specific staging plan has been developed with the two southern chimney stacks expected to be the first structures to be demolished early 2019.

Delta Group has undertaken an in-depth investigation of the inner workings of the old Morwell Power Station to ensure the best sequence for demolition with the project expected to be complete by August 2020.

It was evident at the community meeting that dust suppression was a major concern for residents. Delta Group uses one of the most effective methods of dust control and the controls they are putting in place at Morwell are what they use in major populated cities across Australia.

Delta Group has engaged an independent hygienist who will manage and monitor asbestos removal and dust suppression via an onsite laboratory throughout the demolition process. A comprehensive Asbestos Removal Plan has been completed and signed off by the independent hygienist.

All asbestos removal works will fully comply with Victorian regulatory guidelines and legislative requirements.

The hygienist, Prensa, will conduct regular sampling along with air monitoring processes. As asbestos will be removed before any structure is demolished, EBAC expects some dust but is confident it will be asbestos free.

EBAC has been working with Delta Group, Worksafe, Environment Protection Victoria and Prensa throughout the Christmas and New Year period to finalise its hazard management plans prior to Delta commencing onsite in January.

Delta Group is committed to holding regular meetings to ensure the Latrobe Valley community is informed of key stages and project milestones as works progress. Community groups are welcome to request a meeting with EBAC, Delta Group and Prensa representatives at any stage throughout the project.

All of the latest news, including air monitoring reports from the demolition boundary, will also be published in these monthly community newsletters and posted regularly on the EBAC demolition website at www.ebacdemolition.com.au.

25 January 2019

A brief history The Morwell Power Station and Briquette manufacturing plant were originally constructed as a completely integrated briquetting and power facility that started production in 1958.

In 1996, the briquetting and power facility was purchased by Energy Brix Pty Ltd (EBAC) - a subsidiary of HRL Limited. The power station and briquette factory were taken offline and closed in August and September2014 respectively.

In November 2015, HRL Limited and its subsidiaries (including EBAC) were placed into voluntary administration. For more than 12 months, the administrators, Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC), attempted to find

a buyer for the site. However, with the pending closure of Hazelwood (one of EBAC’s principle product customers) and the unknown and extensive costs for site remediation, an unconditional offer for the site was not received. On this basis, PwC decided to undertake the site remediation to enhance the site value and estimated return to EBAC creditors. The site has been conditionally sold to Gippsland Infrastructure Pty Ltd on the basis that the Power Station is demolished to reduce site liabilities.

With the announcement of a demolition contractor in December 2018, EBAC is set to start demolition of the Morwell Power Station. The demolition process is expected to take between 18 months and two years.

Humble beginnings for national company

Introducing Delta Group In the late 1970s Delta Group was made up of founder and Managing Director, Con Petropoulos, a prime mover and an excavator. One of Con’s first demolition jobs was in nearby Yallourn North and from those humble Latrobe Valley origins, Con has grown Delta Group into one of the largest diversified contractors of its type in the world.

Fast forward almost 40 years and Delta Group has offices in all mainland capital cities in Australia, employs 740 staff and operates Australia’s largest privately owned fleet of heavy plant and equipment - comprising more than 900 highly specialist machines and thousands of precision attachments. In that time, Delta has assembled a portfolio of work that includes some of Australia’s most recognised landmarks and toughest engineering challenges including:

• Crown Melbourne • Melbourne Cricket Ground - Stage 1 & 2 • Federation Square • Docklands • Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre and South Wharf • West Atlas Oil Rig Disaster, Timor Sea • Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre • Queens Wharf Brisbane • Amcor Paper Mill, Melbourne • South Fremantle & Kwinana Power Stations

• Kurri Kurri Aluminium Smelter, Hunter Valley • Canberra International Airport

In recent years, Delta Group has returned to the Latrobe Valley with its heavy plant and equipment rental division (Delta Rent) working with ENGIE as part of the Hazelwood Rehabilitation Project. This summer, Delta Rent will have up to 90 machines deployed at Hazelwood as well as 65 operators and 13 maintenance personnel - all locals.

Delta Group is continuing to grow at record pace, particularly through its recycling division and a new subsidiary called Grange Environmental Services. Across Australia, Delta Group diverts more than 4m tonnes of construction and demolition waste from landfill, with more than 90% recycled as 21st Century building materials. Meanwhile, Grange was established to take advantage of the demand for specialist environmental management skills that support the transfer and reuse of urban and industrial landscapes.

Delta Group has mobilised the EBAC site. Asbestos will be removed from any structure prior to demolition and Safe Work method statements and procedures have been approved for the initial stage of asbestos removal.

Delta Group operates in the Latrobe Valley with its heavy plant and equipment rental division (Delta Rent) working with ENGIE as part of the Hazelwood Rehabilitation Project.

EBAC asbestos approved to go to Hazelwood Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) has approved an application by Energy Brix Australia (EBAC) to allow asbestos removed during the demolition of the old Morwell Power Station to go to landfill at the neighbouring ENGIE site at the Hazelwood Power Station. ENGIE submitted a licence amendment application to allow the existing asbestos landfill on its Hazelwood premises to accept the asbestos after Latrobe City Council refused planning permission sought by EBAC for a proposed asbestos landfill at the EBAC site. EPA approved ENGIE’s application under the Environment Protection Act 1970, noting that:

• the Hazelwood landfill cell available to receive the EBAC asbestos has been operating since June 2018 and already has the necessary controls and safety features for accepting asbestos

• the existing landfill cell has enough approved capacity to accept the asbestos coming from the EBAC site, as well as ENGIE’s own asbestos

In making its decision, EPA consulted with the Gippsland Waste and Resource Recovery Group to ensure that the proposal was consistent with existing regional plans. EBAC continues to comply with an EPA-issued Clean Up Notice for the old Morwell Power Station and the requirement for a full environmental assessment of the site, as prescribed under Section 53X of the Environment Protection Act. EBAC and ENGIE Hazelwood continue to work on the finalisation of asbestos delivery arrangements that will exist between the two parties. It is expected this contract will be in place by the end of this month, with asbestos deliveries commencing to the Hazelwood cell in April 2019. There are stringent conditions for the transport, packaging and disposal of asbestos. See EPA’s Industrial Waste Resource Guideline IWRG611.2 at https://www.epa.vic.gov.au/~/media/Publications/ IWRG611%202.pdf

Role of independent hygienist Engaged as Delta’s independent hygienist, Prensa provides tailored, strategic and practical solutions to address property risks.

Prensa’s primary role during the demolition of the old Morwell Power Station is to manage the monitoring and removal of asbestos.

Ongoing monitoring of airborne fibres

NATA accredited air monitoring, undertaken by trained hygienists, will provide ongoing monitoring of potential airborne fibre levels to confirm appropriate management procedures are being followed at all times.

Asbestos-containing building materials already assessed

Expert hygienists have undertaken detailed asbestos containing material (ACM) surveys to assist EBAC and Delta Group to meet legislative requirements in relation to the identification of ACM on site and will assist in the development of asbestos removal plans and Prensa hygienists will be onsite during all asbestos removal activities.

Previously concealed asbestos identified

Mandatory pre-demolition asbestos/hazardous building materials assessments have been undertaken to identify potentially concealed asbestos/hazardous building materials. 

Regulatory and legislative requirements must be met

The hygienists will supervise removal contractors during abatement works to ensure works are undertaken in strict accordance with regulatory and legislative requirements and provide high-level consultancy advice to assist in efficient project completion.

An on-site laboratory allows for quick asbestos identification

As industry leaders, Prensa will effectively reconcile environmental and safety legislation to derive a strategy to manage this unique contaminant via its onsite NATA accredited laboratory that allows for scientifically accurate and fast turn-around asbestos analysis. 

Air monitoring results from site boundaries will be posted on the EBAC website during periods of asbestos removal at www.ebacdemolition.com.au.

While no positive fibre count is expected outside of the asbestos removal areas, as an extra precaution monitors will be located on the site boundary (in the prominent wind direction at the time). These results will be posted on the EBAC demolition website within 24 hours.

Prior to commencing demolition, EBAC was required to meet a number of pre-conditions set by Heritage Victoria (HV).

These included the retention of technical information and other archival records associated with the site; the preparation of a detailed Heritage Interpretation Program for the site including video recordings of past worker memories, a full photographic and video survey of the site, a short-illustrated history publication on the site and interpretation signage that will be installed around the Morwell area to assist with visitor interpretation. Additional plant items will also be provided to Power Works from the planned demolition areas.

Furthermore, a Conservation Management Plan for the Briquette Factories is underway to preserve the heritage of these buildings during ongoing site management and future development works.

A full copy of all 3D videos and employee interviews will be posted on the EBAC Demolition website, while Interpretation plans will be

passed onto Power Works, Latrobe City Council and the Victorian State Library. All photographs and videos will also be placed with the State Library.

The site’s heritage significance was never in question. The demolition is about replacing hazardous, contaminated buildings with a potential project that meets the new emissions standards for Victorian brown coal processing while preserving significant heritage aspects using contemporary 21st Century methods, such as 3D video recordings, to maximise the opportunity of both items being able to co-exist.

The demolition of the Power Station paves the way for Gippsland Infrastructure to develop its CarbonTech Project, which will deliver additional investment and jobs for the region.

Gippsland Infrastructure plans to repurpose existing plant and equipment in the Briquette Factories and install new carbonisation technologies to produce a range of valuable carbon products. A key to this multi-million dollar project proceeding is the demolition of the Power Station.

Land and buildings on heritage register Despite the demolition of buildings, the land and buildings associated with Morwell Power Station and Briquette Factories continue to be included in the Victorian Heritage Register.

Heritage Victoria recognised the derelict conditions of the buildings and structures, combined with the large amounts of asbestos contained within the Power Station, meant there would be no reasonable economic use of that part of the site and health risks would increase over time.

The power station contains the vast majority of all the asbestos on site and as the structures deteriorate with age, the cost and risks associated with asbestos removal increases.

Demolition is the safer option.

The site’s historical significance never

in question

EBAC demolition project timelines: December 2018 - January 2019

Preliminaries and Planning: • Set up contractor’s village • Set up site temporary services

Sub-contractor Appointment: • Asbestos removalist • Scaffolding • Temporary services

Engineering: • Review of stack structure • Review of Boiler House structure • Review of Turbine Hall structure

Site Mobilisation: • Delta mobilisation • Scaffold mobilisation - commence scaffold to Boilers • Asbestos removalist mobilisation

Demolition Works: • Removal of Rising Coal Conveyor • Demolition of Dust Silos and Precipitators (Southern Elevation)

For more information, go to the EBAC website: www.ebacdemolition.com.au

Contact Lynne Smith on 0437 918 234 or email: lsmith@wordwisecommunications.com.au for any queries.

Scope of works Engaged by EBAC to complete demolition works for the old Morwell Power Station, the scope of works to be conducted by Delta Group include:

• Planning and Design

• Site establishment/mobilisation

• Disconnection of existing and temporary services

• HAZMAT (Asbestos) removal

• Structural demolition of four 95m high chimney stacks, boiler house and 8 boilers

• Site demobilisation

Air sampling has been undertaken regularly across the old Morwell Power Station site over a two year period. All results have tested negative and the site cleared for demolition works.