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Category: Electricity Energy and Utilities / Industry / Weather

AGL cuts power to smelter to avoid mass outages across NSW

Friday, 10 Feb 2017 14:56:36

Heatwave conditions have spiked electricity demands across the state to record levels.

An aluminium smelter in the New South Wales Hunter Valley has been forced to power down its operations to avoid mass electricity blackouts across the state.

With NSW in the midst of a heatwave, electricity demands are at record highs as residents crank up their air conditioners and fans.

AGL said that if power to the smelter was not cut then there would be electricity cuts to schools, businesses and homes across NSW.

"AGL has decided to reduce power supply to Tomago smelter near Newcastle to try to prevent blackouts elsewhere... during peak power demand," a company statement said.

Tomago Aluminium said the company's infrastructure was at risk if power could not be restored.

"This is not on, we should have a reliable power supply," Smelter manager Matt Howell said.

"We should not be forcing manufacturing to the wall where we simply can't keep the lights on."

Meanwhile, energy company Ausgrid reported that a power outage currently affecting 11,000 customers in the Sydney suburbs of Burwood and Strathfield was a network fault and not related to the heatwave.

The state's Energy Minister, Don Harwin, said demand this afternoon had been higher than anticipated.

He said for now, the system was still coping.

"We've got even more generating capacity available this afternoon...we we are in surplus now," he said.

Mr Harwin urged people to try and be moderate with their electricity use.

AustraliaPlus


 

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