The AER has approved an exemption request from AGL Macquarie Pty Limited (AGL) from notice of closure requirements in the National Electricity Rules.
On 30 April 2021, AGL submitted an application to amend the closure date for Liddell power station unit 3 (LD03). The application sought to swap the closure dates of Liddell power station unit 4 (LD04) and unit 3 (LD03) to improve the operation of Liddell power station in its transition to close in 2023.
After assessing the recent performance of LD03 and LD04, and consultation with the Australian Energy Market Operator, the AER has approved the request on the basis that swapping the closure dates of the two units should improve the reliability of the Liddell power station in its last year of operation.
Under the exemption, LD03 will close on 1 April 2022. AGL will then delay the closure of LD04 to 1 April 2023.
Generators are required to provide a minimum 42 months’ notice of their intention to close, unless granted exemption by the AER. The AER’s Generator notice of closure exemption guideline sets out our approach to handling exemption requests.