Hitachi Energy and Alinta Energy have entered into a new three-year master outage agreement covering three gas-fired power stations in Queensland and WA.
The power stations are fitted with Hitachi Energy generator circuit-breakers (GCBs) – a technology that protects important assets by clearing harmful short-circuit faults in transformers.
The agreement will see Hitachi Energy and Alinta work on a structured and scalable approach to outage planning and execution. This includes condition assessments, overhauling and upgrades, supply of strategic spares, and replacement of generator circuit breakers and transformer bushings.
Alinta’s largest gas-fired plant – the 464-megawatt (MW) open-cycle Braemar gas-fired generator in Queensland – forms part of the agreement, along with the 392MW Wagerup gas-fired plant that supports the South West Interconnected System in WA. The 285MW Pinjarra power station and cogeneration plant located at Alcoa’s Pinjarra refinery in WA is also included.
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While the sites utilise the same technology, each facility operates independently and faces its own maintenance schedules and outage requirements.
The agreement is designed to support consistent maintenance practices across Alinta’s generation fleet, helping extend asset life, improve reliability and strengthen the security of energy supply.
Hitachi Energy Australia country managing director Bernard Norton said reliable infrastructure will play a critical role in supporting Australia’s transition to a lower-emissions energy system.
“With energy security in focus as Australia transitions to net-zero, the partnership with Alinta Energy marks an important milestone towards a stronger, smarter and more resilient energy system supported by Hitachi Energy’s extensive local service capabilities,” Norton said.
Alinta Energy general manager – power generation Peter Lowke said the agreement would support the company’s operational requirements while minimising disruption during planned outages.
“Hitachi Energy worked closely with us and stayed responsive to what we needed operationally. That made a real difference, particularly in keeping disruption low and performance on track,” Lowke said.
