Birdon was contracted to dredge 1.4 million cubic metres of consolidated ash from two primary settling ponds at Loy Yang power station. The material was pumped 1 km to a newly constructed void for dewatering and long term storage.

AGL Pty Ltd operates Victoria’s largest coal mine and power station –Loy Yang – responsible for the supply of one third of the state’s electricity.

During the production process on site, fly ash and bottom ash had built up in the main settlement ponds. This required regular removal and transfer to a storage area.

The work was undertaken using a 10-inch cutter suction dredge with the material pumped via a temporary pipeline to the elevated storage void.

All work was undertaken while the power plant and settling ponds remained in operation. This required careful planning to achieve settling requirements while still leaving enough water for dredging operations.

Birdon worked closely with AGL to amend the working area and adjust the scope of work which allowed the ponds to remain operational throughout the project.