Collie coal fire: Premier Coal delays reporting blaze to DFES amid concern over supply shortage

Stockpiled coal has caught alight in Collie in yet another blow to the State Government’s efforts to shore up fuel supplies amid power generation concerns over summer. The fire broke out on Monday at Premier Coal — WA’s biggest coal mine — but was only reported to Department of Fire and Emergency Services on Tuesday afternoon. The blaze prompted a “hazmat” warning for the WA South West town. It comes just days after a 50,000-tonne shipment of thermal coal from NSW arrived at Bunbury port, destined for Collie and Muja power stations to assist State-owned energy provider Synergy. The shipment is one of two procured to help WA’s unprecedented coal shortage. Synergy has blamed the shortfall on a wet winter and then a bulldozer accident at Premier Coal. In November, Synergy said though it had enough coal stocks to keep the lights on this summer, the shipments were insurance against unforeseen interruptions to the local supply. Overseen by DFES on Tuesday afternoon, the blaze was deemed “under control” but being monitored. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services were alerted to the smouldering heap on Tuesday afternoon by Premier Coal. A spokeswoman said the owner was managing the fire with private resources on Monday, before the decision was made to alert authorities on Tuesday. “This afternoon we were made aware a coal fire at a commercial premises in Shotts in the South West,” a DFES spokeswoman said. “It appears the fire started yesterday and the operator has been managing it with private resources.” Shire of Collie had been informed of the fire but was not required to attend or manage the incident. The coal impacted in the blaze was not from the shipment transported from Yancoal Australia’s Hunter Valley operations but understood to be an existing pile at the facility. The total damage bill and amount of the coal impacted remains unclear. Yancoal Australia and the Minister for Energy Bill Johnston has been contacted for comment. The new shipments are the first time Synergy has been forced to look outside WA for coal, which has traditionally all come from Collie. In June, the McGowan Government announced the phased retirement of all state-owned coal-fired power stations by 2030. A State Government spokesman played down the impact of the fire on WA’s coal supply, labelling it a “small pile of local coal” . “We are advised it is not unusual at this time of the year given excessive heat and strong winds,” he said, despite it being only about 30C in Collie on Monday and Tuesday. “The State Government’s portion of coal which was shipped from New South Wales as part of a stockpile for extra supplies is not impacted. “This will not impact Synergy’s ability to generate power. “It is expected a small provision from this pile will be lost but the majority will be repurposed.”