![\"Chimneys](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/80ce14eac419adfb27850359027976d7.png\")
<\/p>\nMore than half a century of coal-fired history has come crashing down in the NSW Hunter Valley.<\/p>\n
The Liddell Power Station’s iconic 170-metre-tall chimneys were demolished with explosives packed into their base.<\/p>\n
The power station was retired in 2023 after 52 years of operation.<\/p>\n
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The moment the chimneys at the Liddell power station were demolished. (ABC Newcastle: Amelia Bernasconi)<\/p>\n
Steve Lanesbury worked at the station for 44 years.<\/p>\n
“The emotions are pretty raw. It’s like someone with a terminal illness,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We put her on life support back in 2023 \u2026 and the stacks coming down, that’s the signal that this is the end.”<\/p>\n
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The power station shortly before its chimneys were demolished. (ABC Newcastle: Ross McLaughlin)<\/p>\n
AGL site transition general manager Brad Williams said it was “a bittersweet moment”.<\/p>\n
“These stacks have been an icon for the site, the region, and the community for a number of decades, and particularly for our former employees,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Bringing these stacks down really does signify a move into opening the site for reuse as an industrial energy hub, and with that comes new jobs, new opportunities and new developments.”<\/p>\n
‘Like bringing down a tree’<\/p>\n
Since its closure, the demolition of Liddell’s chimneys has been the subject of community interest, but safety concerns meant there was no public viewing.<\/p>\n
Each smoke stack had a base diameter of 20m and narrowed to 10m at the top.<\/p>\n
“It’s like bringing down a tree \u2026 rather than using an axe, we use explosives,” Mr Williams said.<\/p>\n
“About 700 holes are drilled in the side of the chimney and they’re packed with a small amount of explosives.<\/p>\n
“Then we cut \u2026 triangular sections that act as a hinge and then cut through the reinforcement at the base and rear of the stack.<\/p>\n
“It’s an awful lot of work for a 10-second event to safely bring them down.”![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/e6fb8ace2f3de3b40bad16dea3ff52eb.jpeg\")
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The chimneys have a diameter of 20 metres at the base. (ABC Upper Hunter: Bindi Bryce)<\/p>\n
Over the past 18 months, the site has been cleaned out and disconnected.<\/p>\n
“As much as what we possibly could has been recycled throughout that process, for example, about a million litres of oil has been recycled,” Mr Williams said.<\/p>\n
‘We’re going to see more of this’<\/p>\n
The Liddell Power Station was the largest power station of its kind when it was fully operational in 1973.<\/p>\n
The cost of maintaining ageing infrastructure and AGL’s shifting focus to cleaner energy led to its 2023 closure.<\/p>\n
It was among the 1 per cent of power stations in the world to have operated for more than 50 years.<\/p>\n
During its lifetime, Liddell generated about 431,000 gigawatt hours of power. At consumption rates at the time of its closure, that was enough to power NSW for 6.5 years.<\/p>\n
The neighbouring Bayswater Power Station, also owned by AGL, is due to close in 2033.<\/p>\n
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Liddell, pictured here in 1972, was one Australia’s longest running coal-fired power stations. (ABC Archive)<\/p>\n
There were mixed emotions when Liddell powered down<\/a> \u2014 most locals having some kind of connection to the site<\/a>.<\/p>\n Margaret and David Channon met while working at Liddell and later married. Their son Jackson went on to work at the site.<\/p>\n Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources director Paul Ebert said it was a significant moment in the state’s energy transition.<\/p>\n “This is really the first large-scale thermal power station that has got to the demolition phase. We’re going to see more of this,” he said.<\/p>\n “While there is a kind of grief in change \u2026 this particular asset has come to the end of its lifetime.”<\/p>\n Liddell Power Station during operation. (Supplied: AGL)<\/p>\n ‘Fantastic potential’<\/p>\n Mr Williams confirmed that a range of proposals were on the table for AGL’s Hunter Energy Hub, including solar panel manufacturing and recycling and a data hub.<\/p>\n “We’ve made excellent progress on a large 500-megawatt, 2-hour battery on site, which is being commissioned at the moment, and the demolition really does open up future opportunities,” he said.<\/p>\n “The site has such fantastic potential: road access, water access, and industrial land ready for redevelopment.”<\/p>\n The 500-megawatt Liddell Battery was switched on for commissioning in March. (ABC Upper Hunter: Courtney Yeandle)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/dac02001060bde4ce7f61f963e5fe84c.jpeg\")
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