The long-awaited demolition of the former Liddell power station's two 168-metre-tall stacks will take place in late April.
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Preparations are underway to bring down the iconic Upper Hunter landmarks with four explosive blasts.
The Department of Planning approved the project last year.
The process will follow a similar methodology to that used in the demolition of Munmorah power station on the Central Coast in March 2017.
A final date is yet to be set for the detonation, which will take place in the last two weeks of April.
The stacks' demolition marks a major milestone in the site's transformation into a clean energy hub.
Work since the plant's closure in 2023 has focused on decommissioning and demolition of surrounding plant.
The process has resulted in the recycling or reuse of 2646 tonnes of potential waste.
This includes repurposing more than 45 kilometres of conveyor belt, 800,000 litres of transformer oil and more than 150,000 litres of turbine oil.
Alternative uses and new homes have also been found for everything from fabric filter bags, bearings and office furniture.
The plant also contains about 70,000 tonnes of metal, including 3000 tonnes of highly valuable non-ferrous metals such as copper and chromium. By comparison, the Sydney Harbour Bridge contains only 50,000 tonnes of steel.
There is also about 120,000 tonnes of concrete that will be crushed and recycled.
The money made from recycling materials will help offset the $225 million that AGL has budgeted for decommissioning and demolition works.
It is expected to eventually employ hundreds of people and serve as a major catalyst for future economic growth in the region.
AGL and solar recycling company Elecsome have signed a memorandum of understanding in 2024 to develop a feasibility study for the establishment of a solar panel recycling plant and solar cable manufacturing plant at the site.
The feasibility study will determine the engineering and infrastructure requirements as well as the key environmental and regulatory approvals required for the development, construction, and operation of both facilities.
If developed, the recycling plant would be Elecsome's first commercial-scale solar panel recycling facility in NSW and is expected to upcycle up to 500,000 residential and grid-scale solar panels a year.
Matthew Kelly
In recent years he has reported on subjects including environment, energy, water security, manufacturing and higher education.
He has previously covered issues including the health and environmental impacts of uncovered coal wagons in the Hunter Valley, the pollution of legacy of former industrial sites and freedom of information issues.
