AGL has completed work on a generation unit at its Loy Yang A power station and a dredger at its Loy Yang mine to improve reliability and safety.

AGL Loy Yang General Manager Nigel Browne said the company had invested about $90 million to refurbish the unit and about $30 million to upgrade the electrical systems and perform other work on the dredger.

“The purpose of these projects is to ensure AGL Loy Yang remains a safe, reliable and competitive supplier to the National Electricity Market over the remaining 30 years of its life,” Mr Browne said.

“The other three units at AGL Loy Yang continued to operate normally during the work on unit 4, which was one of the largest capital projects in the 30-plus year history of the power station.

“These two projects have created 800 jobs for contractors and sub-contractors, many of whom are from the Gippsland area and include former workers from the Hazelwood power station, which is additional to AGL Loy Yang staff who are involved in these projects.

“The local community benefits from these projects in other ways because a significant amount of money is raised for local charities when safety targets are met. A total of $35,000 was donated to four charities through the safety awareness scheme.”

The unit 4 outage involved two major contractors, Siemens and Lend Lease, and more than 30 sub-contractors, which provide technical and engineering support and labour hire services.

AGL Loy Yang has four generation units which produce a combined 2,200 megawatts of electricity per year which is enough power to supply more than two million average Australian homes per year.

The mine provides coal to Loy Yang A and Alinta’s Loy Yang B power station, which generate a combined 50 per cent of the state’s electricity requirements.

About AGL

AGL is committed to helping shape a sustainable energy future for Australia. We operate the country’s largest electricity generation portfolio, we’re its largest ASX-listed investor in renewable energy, and we have 3.6 million customer accounts. Proudly Australian, with more than 180 years of experience, we have a responsibility to provide sustainable, secure and affordable energy for our customers. Our aim is to prosper in a carbon-constrained world and build customer advocacy as our industry transforms. That’s why we have committed to exiting our coal-fired generation by 2050 and why we will continue to develop innovative solutions for our customers.