May 26, 2026 — 11:36amFor more than half a century, the Liddell power station, near Muswellbrook in the Upper Hunter, burned mountains of black coal to generate electricity that powered the state of New South Wales.Liddell closed in April 2023. Its owner, energy giant AGL, said its ageing equipment had become increasingly unreliable and prone to sudden breakdowns.The Liddell Power Station chimney stacks being demolished today.YouTubeToday, AGL detonated explosives to bring down the power station’s two concrete chimney stacks, each towering 168 metres tall.The site is earmarked to become one of the company’s lower-carbon energy hubs, housing renewable energy and a grid-scale battery system.Nick Toscano is a business reporter for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners
Watch: Liddell power station chimneys come crashing down
For more than half a century, the Liddell power station burned black coal to generate electricity to power New South Wales. Today, its two 168-metre tall concrete chimney stacks were demolished in a controlled explosion.
TL;DRAI
AGL demolished Liddell coal plant's two 168-metre chimney stacks; the station closed April 2023 after 50+ years powering New South Wales. The site will become a grid-scale battery and renewables hub, marking a concrete shift in legacy utility asset repurposing.
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