Hope they've got enough solar panels! Extraordinary moment the power plant that once supplied 5% of Australia's electricity is BLOWN UP in one-minute demolition
- Hazelwood power station's smoke stacks were demolished on Monday afternoon
- The coal fired power plant in Victoria is being rehabilitated after its 2017 closure
- While it took seven years to construct the stacks went down in only one minute
The chimneys of a coal powered fire station have gone up in a cloud of smoke, marking an end to the site's controversial history dating back to the 1960s.
The smoke stacks of the Hazelwood plant in Morwell in Victoria's Gippsland region were detonated on Monday afternoon as part of the plant's demolition.
The soaring 137-metre tall structures came tumbling to the ground at 12.10pm in an incredible moment captured on film.
The Hazelwood Power Station's smoke stacks stand tall prior to the demolition at the Victorian power plant on Monday afternoon
While it took seven years to construct the power station, it took only one minute for the eight chimneys to come down.
The chimneys were built in the 1960s and operated for more than half a century before the brown coal-fuelled power station was shut down in March 2017.
There is about 50kg of asbestos in each chimney and about 12 tonnes of concrete, which will be monitored following the demolition in line with Victorian environment laws.
Engie's demolition project manager Tom McDowall said they understood the significance of the structure to the region as a landmark but it was necessary to pull the trigger.
'We know the Hazelwood chimneys have long been a significant part of the Latrobe Valley skyline and a symbol of the contribution Hazelwood has made to the local and state economy over a long period of time,' Mr McDowall said.
The smoke stacks of the Hazelwood plant in Morwell in Victoria's Gippsland region were detonated on Monday afternoon as part of the plant's demolition
The soaring 137 metre tall structures came tumbling to the ground at 12.10pm in an incredible moment captured on film
While it took seven years to construct the power station, it took only one minute for the eight chimneys to come down
'The demolition is not a celebration but a task that must be undertaken for health and safety reasons and for the Hazelwood site to become safe, sustainable and stable for the long term benefit of the community.'
Engie said its ultimate goal is to rehabilitate the 4,000-hectare site.
The site has been a headache for the Latrobe Valley community since 2014, when a bushfire spread to the coal mine and burned for 45 days.
Hazelwood Power Corporation was fined $1.56 million last week in the Supreme Court of Victoria for putting employees and nearby residents at risk by failing to prepare for the fire.
