Alcoa’s transmission lines to be taken down

THE days are numbered for a major piece of infrastructure associated with the Anglesea mine.

This week, Alcoa announced its plan to fully remove the 45 kilometres of transmission line connecting the former coal mine with the former aluminium smelter in Point Henry.

The removal will start next year and take about two to three years to complete.

Powercor will continue to use a section of the 220kV transmission line between Forest Road and Anglesea Road as part of its network for power supply to residents in Anglesea and Lorne until September 2019.

Alcoa’s Point Henry and Anglesea asset manager Warren Sharp said the decision to remove the transmission line followed detailed discussions between Alcoa and the state government, relevant authorities and power companies.

“All transmission towers, conductor line and concrete footings along the transmission line will be removed in consultation with affected property owners and in accordance with applicable regulations.

“The company is committed to communication and consultation with affected property owners and keeping the broader community informed as the project progresses.

“Last week, we wrote to property owners with a transmission line crossing their property advising of the removal.”

Alcoa says it will ensure the appropriate safety inspections and maintenance continue until the assets are removed.

The transmission line was a key part of Alcoa’s operations for more than 45 years, with power generated at Anglesea supplying about 40 per cent of the Point Henry site’s electricity needs.

The Point Henry smelter shut down in 2014, and Alcoa decided to close the Anglesea power station in 2015 following an unsuccessful attempt to find a buyer.

The removal of the transmission towers will be disappointing news to proponents of the Energyworks Anglesea plan, who hoped to use the towers as part of an ambitious plan to create a renewable energy generation and storage facility hub at the mine featuring floating solar panels and pumped hydro.