About 500 contractors are expected to boost the workforce at the Tarong North Power Station, 45km south-east of Kingaroy, as a $70 million planned overhaul gets underway.

Station operator Stanwell said the work, expected to run until early July, was set to deliver a $10 million boost to the local economy, supporting local suppliers as well as accommodation, transport and hospitality providers.

Stanwell general manager southern generation Mick Joy said planned unit overhauls were a critical part of Stanwell’s year-round maintenance program.

“The work we complete during an overhaul ensures our power stations are kept in good condition so they can continue to provide safe, reliable and affordable electricity to our customers, Queensland and the National Electricity Market,” Mr Joy said.

The current overhaul will see the Tarong North boiler and furnace surveyed, inspected and repairs completed.

It also includes generator inspections and maintenance along with electrical systems testing, calibration and maintenance.

“Each unit undergoes a major overhaul every four years to keep them running optimally year-round,” Mr Joy said

“An overhaul is a big job and typically takes 12 months to plan before it even starts.”

Once the work kicks off it involves extensive inspection, maintenance, refurbishment and replacement of plant and equipment.”

Sarah O’Mahoney from Nanango-based business G3 Engineering said Tarong power stations had provided a consistent workflow of jobs for the company.

“To support the overhaul, we increase our supply for fabricated and manufactured components, as well as provide an increase in labour backfill,” Mrs O’Mahoney said.

“Increasing the services we provide means we are able to grow our business, by hiring new talent and upskilling our team.

“We’ve been operating for 15 years, and in that time, we’ve grown from a small crew of onsite maintenance personnel to a small business that provides a range of engineering services to our region, such as design, drafting, 3D scanning, manufacturing and installation to name a few.”

Tarong North is part of the Tarong power stations complex which supplies about 20 per cent of Queensland’s energy needs, providing critical system strength, inertia and firming to the grid.