Australian Power & Energy News Vol18 no97 October 2014

Please see our editorial and advertisement on pages 14 and 15

VOL. 18 NO. 97 - October 2014

Please see our editorial and advertisement on pages 4 and 5

Print Post No. PP100000928

All enquiries phone: +61 7 5478 9432 Email Enquiries: apen@worldpacific.com.au Circulated to key personnel within all Power Utilities and Power Generators throughout Australia and New Zealand each issue

Hydro Tasmania

100 Years in Power

SPECIAL FEATURE Pages 18 – 32

Select Solution wins “Best Employer” award U

TILITY and infrastructure service provider, Select Solutions, has been recognised as a “Best Employer for 2014” by global human resources company, Aon Hewitt.

Select Solutions received the prestigious award with 15 other companies, chosen from 120 entries across Australia and New Zealand, due to its positive employee engagement results, commitment to safety and employee communications.

Select Solutions General Manager, John Kelso, was delighted with the recognition, particularly, with the strong growth of the business since inception.

“Since our establishment in 2009, Select Solutions has grown from 300 to nearly 900 employees who provide services to the utility and infrastructure sectors across Australia, and this recognition is a proud moment in what has been a monumental year for the company,” Mr Kelso said.

“Select Solutions has been recognised as having outstanding employee engagement scores and delivering excellence in people management practices.

“Importantly, safety was our highest employee engagement driver, scoring 94 per cent, which is critical in the industries we service,” he said.

Select Solutions is now assessed as being in the top quartile of each of the four Talent Management indexes: • Employee Engagement - 80% overall engagement rating in 2014

Above: Select Solutions team celebrate award (John Kelso, GM, second from right) • Effective Leadership - being people focussed • Aligned Employer Brand - being part of a customer focussed growth business with our trademark ‘United, Trusted and Dynamic’

behaviours as our centrepiece • High Performing Culture - alignment with our business Vision, Strategy and Plans Select Solutions recently completed the acquisition of Geomatic Technologies, a

New corporations created as Power and Water splits

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OWER and Water Corporation has been split into three government owned corporations as from from 1 July 2014.

of August, customers will receive their electricity bill from Jacana Energy and their water and sewerage bill from Power and Water Corporation.

“Customers will be able to pay their bills in the usual way including over the phone, on line, at Australia Post and at Power and Water retail shop fronts. Power and Water will simply process payments on behalf of Jacana Energy,” he said.

Power and Water will continue to manage the electricity network, so all faults and outages should be reported to Power and Water either

Jacana Energy is responsible for the retail part of Power and Water and Territory Generation manages electricity generation.

Power and Water will continue to operate water and sewerage services and the power network.

“We want to reassure customers that the separation of Power and Water will not alter the delivery of their services,” Power and Water Corporation Managing Director John Baskerville said.

“What will change is that from the beginning

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Published Bi-Monthly - Circulated to key personnel within all Power Utilities and Power Generators throughout Australia and New Zealand

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Head Office: 14 Merriman Court, Palmwoods QLD 4555 Postal Address: PO Box 1176, MOOLOOLABA QLD 4557

via your smart phone or tablet, online or through the call centre on 1800 245 092.

Electricity connections and disconnections for Jacana Energy customers will also be processed through existing Power and Water Corporation shop fronts.

“This is an exciting new phase in the provision of utilities to the Northern Territory,” Mr Baskerville said.

“Territory Generation will produce electricity for Jacana Energy and they will also be able to sell power to other electricity retail companies, should they enter the Northern Territory market,” he said.

The structural separation of the Power and Water Corporation into three government owned corporations is a Northern Territory government initiative with the legislation assented to on Tuesday 13 May 2014.

recognised leader in advanced mobile and spatial technologies and is among Australia’s leading providers of IT integrated solutions and services.

SP AusNet changes name to AusNet Services SP AusNet has changed its name to AusNet Services, following the termination of an agreement with former majority securityholder, Singapore Power.

AusNet Services’ Managing Director, Nino Ficca, said: “The name AusNet Services emphasises our strong position as a major Australian energy infrastructure company with a distinct future focus to service our customers better, Mr Ficca said.

AusNet Services is Victoria’s largest energy networks business, owning and operating approximately $11 billion of electricity and gas distribution assets, including Victoria’s electricity transmission network.

AusNet Services also owns an electricity distribution network that distributes electricity to 668,000 homes and businesses in Melbourne’s north east and across eastern Victoria and a gas distribution network that supplies natural gas to more than 633,000 properties in western Victoria.

Based in Melbourne, AusNet Services employs more than 2,200 people in regional and metropolitan Victoria, including its Select Solutions and Geomatic Technologies businesses.

Please visit AusNet Services’ new website – www.ausnetservices.com.au – for more information.

Poles and Wires Equipment, Manufacturers and Projects Feature

Telephone: (07) 5478 9432 • Facsimile: (07) 5445 9431 Email: apen@worldpacific.com.au Web: www.amrcn.com.au (Click on ‘Other Publications’) Page 2 - Australian Power & Energy News

See Pages 4 - 12

“REACHING NEW HEIGHTS” AERIAL ACCESS is proud to announce the release of their latest model the VST7500I, their highest Elevated work platform in Australia.

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HE Versalift VST7500I has a working height of 25 metres, a horizontal reach of 14 metres, a platform capacity of up to 360 kg and the provision for a hydraulic material handler with a capacity to 660 kg.

“One of the great things about this new model is it’s designed on a relatively short wheel base 6x4 cab chassis with a GVM of 22 tonne and good remaining capacity for additional tool boxes.” said General Manager Patrick Schinella.

combine to make Versalift EWPs the most productive on the market.

the VST7500 is rated between 66kV as standard or 132 kV rating as optional.

These units also have the potential to become a multi-purpose unit with the ability to work around the distribution system to being extremely capable of performing many live line tasks. Reliability and ease of set-up has made Versalift very suitable for work associated with rapid response and with general distribution.

As standard for the power authorities Aerial Access Australia also uses radio remote e-stop and emergency functions in the basket. All other controls are operated hydraulically to reduce in field risk of down-time if faults occur.

Aerial Access is based in northern Sydney, but has service agents in major centres throughout Australia with both workshop and mobile service facilities.

For our full range of equipment visit www.aerialaccess.com.au For more information contact us on 1300 654 591

The EWPs are designed for extremely low maintenance with non-lube bearings used at all points of motion.

Aerial Access is the Australian distributor of the Versalift range of elevating work platforms made by Time Manufacturing of Waco, Texas – the world’s largest builder of vehicle-mounted elevating work platforms.

The bucket capacity caters for the street lighting and for power/ telecommunication market where two people are more likely to be needed to carry out the work. The basket comes standard in rectangular form or as a D-shaped for versatility.

Design features of Versalift EWPs include: filament wound high strength fibreglass booms, lower boom insulated inserts, full fibreglass rotating buckets, telescopic booms, single stick controls and minimal tail swing. These features

Aerial Access Australia uses enhanced stability criteria to AS/NZ 1418.10-2011 and can now offer newly designed load sensing as an option for additional safety.

Fully insulated to Australian Standard Conformance AS/NZ 1418.10 -2011

Introducing the VST7500I.

Our highest Elevating Work Platform yet.

Reaching new heights, these units have the potential to become a multi-purpose unit with the ability to work on the electrical distribution system and perform many live line tasks.

Max Working Height

25metres

Horizontal Outreach

14.3metres

Bucket Capacity

360kg/660kg

Insulation Rating

66kV/33kv or 132kV/33kV

GVM

22 Tonne

www.aerialaccess.com.au

1300 654 591 Australian Power & Energy News - Page 3

A Powerful Partnership: Rocla and APIP team up to meet a demanding schedule in Queensland

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OCLA’s expertise in supplying to time-sensitive projects, along with its industryleading Duraspun® Concrete Power Poles, have aided the successful completion of a major transmission line relocation in Queensland by Australian Power Industry Partners (APIP).

When the advancement of a Queensland mine’s open cut coalface began to threaten an existing electricity transmission line, APIP turned to Rocla to help facilitate the relocation of the high voltage transmission feeder.

APIP were engaged by the mine owner to determine the most cost effective and technically feasible solution - time constraints and an emphasis on minimal disruption to the mine’s operations were critical factors.

“The challenge was – as is always the case with this type of project – the end date doesn’t change and installation windows are tight,” said Samuel George, Sales Territory Manager (QLD) for Rocla. “So for APIP to take on the job, in addition to having the expertise to execute their plan, they are dependent on their suppliers - in this case Rocla - to firstly commit and then to keep to a non-negotiable delivery schedule.”

Rocla’s Duraspun® Concrete Power Poles were the client’s preferred choice with the existing high voltage transmission feeder built using the same product. Having previous exposure to the Rocla product range during his time working for the Queensland electricity utilities, APIP Business Operations Manager Nathan Roach said that Rocla’s Duraspun® Concrete Power Poles have been used extensively throughout Queensland supporting transmission power lines and that they represented the lowest risk option for the build.

Above: Poles were delivered directly to mapped locations matching final pole sites, reducing the timing, risk and effort of installation For APIP, being able to trust Rocla to play their part in providing a quality product and meeting the client’s deadlines was a significant factor.

and instilling confidence in the client that delivery dates will be achieved. They focus on what they do best and we can focus on what we do best,” said Nathan.

“Rocla’s knowledge and experience in the manufacture of concrete poles is critical - they’ve proven themselves to be a reliable supplier, reducing the project’s risk exposure

After fabricating the Duraspun® Concrete Power Poles, Rocla arranged the delivery of each pole directly to the installation site.

“Rocla offer a service that provides for

individual placement of poles as close as possible to their final in-place location.

Their preparedness to customise delivery schedules and interact directly with site personnel removes a significant variable within the construction schedule – this level of service is not normally available to the resources sector.”

With minimal disruption a key requirement, APIP worked closely with the client during the design and planning phase to ensure outage windows were kept to a minimum.

Works requiring an interruption to the mine electricity supply were planned within existing outage windows for previously scheduled works onsite. “This sort of schedule accuracy was made possible with the help of reliable suppliers like Rocla,” said Nathan.

“When you combine a team of highly qualified High Voltage professionals with reliable, expert industry suppliers you bring to the market a strengthened delivery model and a highly efficient work environment,” he said.

For more information or for project enquiries contact: Rocla Ph: 131 004 Email: solutions@rocla.com.au Web: www.rocla.com.au Nathan Roach APIP Ph: 0499 766 295 /1300 396 826 Email: nwroach@apip.com.au Above: Aligning the cutover with a planned mine outage meant a seamless change and minimal disruption to the mine Page 4 - Australian Power & Energy News

Web: www.apip.com.au

TAKING POWER TO NEW HEIGHTS Rocla Poles are: • Tested year after year in severe bushfire conditions • Impervious to termites, corrosion and rot • Engineered to meet the strict requirements of transmission line construction • Manufactured from reinforced or prestressed concrete, at heights of up to 55m • Integrated fittings with a wide range of footings available.

For further information call us QLD/NT: 0448 886 981 NSW/WA: 0418 832 151 VIC/SA/TAS: 0400 874 779

or visit www.rocla.com.au Australian Power & Energy News - Page 5

ZNX Install Innovative Technology for UE: Low Voltage Regulators (LVRs) W

ITH the lure of a green power source and the incentive of government rebates and feed-in tariffs, Australian customers are installing solar photovoltaic panels (solar PV) at an ever increasing rate. Whilst this is positive action for residential customers, it is creating challenges for our electricity networks.

Australia’s electricity networks were designed for electricity to flow one way and with the assumption that it will dry up as it goes down the line.

Solar PV integration to the network is causing extreme and erratic voltage discrepancies the system is not equipped to deal with. The solar PV panels feed power back into the network during sunlight hours when electricity is not being consumed, leading to an oversupply on the lines.

As a result, United Energy (UE) is trialling an innovative and cost effective technology that will allow the existing network to accept higher levels of solar generated power and regulate supply.

ZNX Network Services Victoria, a Zinfra Group company and service provider to UE’s northern network in Victoria, is installing low voltage regulators (LVRs) on UE’s metropolitan, interconnected three phase network as part of a six month trial.

The self-automated LVR units solve the common utility problems of flicker and excessive voltage drop. The power electronics contained in the LVR dynamically regulate voltage flow up or down to within 1% of a programmable set point, in UE’s case, stabilising the voltage to a set point voltage of 230. This precise regulation of voltage ensures grid stability and compliance with appropriate service standards.

The units are produced and sourced from Microplanet, based in Seattle, USA. Engineer Greg Wiegand, from Microplanet, visited Australia to provide guidance and technical advice for their use on UE’s networks.

The installation of the units on the pole, currently involves the placement of three units on a pole, one for each three phase wire.

Greg explained that these units were initially designed for single wire earth return (SWER) networks in Queensland, and Microplanet is currently designing a custom three phase integrated unit that will conform to height restriction and other regulations on the UE network.

The new, customised units, known as U3Ps, will consist of one box containing the contents of three of the current LVR units. These units have recently undergone an extensive testing regime at the Queensland University of Technology under the Guided Innovation Alliance (GIA) program.

The GIA is an industry applied research collaboration established in October 2011 to address barriers and shorten the pathway to market for new innovations in the electricity sector.

The GIA program is looking to identify technologies to counter the problems associated with the increasing trend of domestic solar PV

Above: ZNX line workers install LVR units installation. It was through this program that UE identified the LVR units as a solution to their network difficulties.

The units provide a very economical solution to the problem of voltage regulation. “The LVR units allow the network to be updated without updating the infrastructure,” said Grant Attewell, Construction Supervisor with ZNX, “The traditional solution to this problem would be the installation of a new pole substation and the high voltage lines needed to feed it, which would cost at least three times as much as these LVRs.” Each LVR can also transmit the activity and performance of the unit. Incoming voltage, output voltage, current and temperature of the unit can be retrieved by downloading it to a laptop via Bluetooth. This can be done from the ground, thereby removing the requirement for a worker to access the unit up on the pole.

Greg Wiegand advised that Microplanet is currently working on improving the data functionality on future units by installing an SD card that will record data on a minute-byminute basis and be stored for one year. A WiFi solution to improve reliability when data gathering is also being added to future models.

The trials are being conducted in known

trouble spots on the UE network. Three separate poles will have the units installed on them by mid-May as part of the trial. In some cases, UE will use smart meters on individual premises with known issues to monitor and gauge their effectiveness.

The first trial devices have been installed on the low voltage network of Steven-Woodcrest substation which is a pole-mounted 300kVA transformer located in Vermont, Victoria.

Grant, ZNX’s Construction Supervisor, is excited about the potential for the LVRs, “There are many short-term and long-term benefits associated with this technology. The problem of voltage regulation is addressed with minimal

impact on the end customer and they get a more reliable service. The pole units are small and it all comes at a fraction of the cost of traditional ways of dealing with these problems.”

When you take into account the short installation time which is as little as 30 minutes, the immediate increased grid reliability and improved service for utility customers, the potential for this new technology to tackle the issues associated with long runs and the growing use of domestic solar panels looks very promising.

ZNX is proud to be partnering with UE on this innovative initiative, bringing their skill, experience and expertise to the team.

The Technical Stuff: How the LVR Works Microplanet’s LVR combines traditional power electronics with patented technology. The LVR will dynamically raise or lower and balance the incoming voltage to maintain a constant output level. The system consists of: • An AC-to-AC converter that produces voltage with a varying magnitude. The converter drives the primary of a high-efficiency toroidal transformer.

• A control board with a microprocessor for measuring the output voltage and controlling the AC-to-AC converter to precisely maintain a fixed level set by the customer.

The control board senses line-to-neutral output voltage and compares it to the desired reference. Depending on whether the voltage is too low or too high, the unit decides if it should be raising or lowering the voltage, and how much. Then it controls the AC-to-AC converter to adjust the output voltage to exactly match the reference voltage. The regulator maintains its output (load side) voltage even when the power reverses and is flowing from the customer PV backwards to the utility.

In the event of electronics failure, regulation stops but power is not interrupted. Fault alarms can be sent to a connected network.

Source: www.microplanet.com

Page 6 - Australian Power & Energy News

Hydraulic Pole Puller with 60 Ton Pulling Force

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EED a faster, safer and reliable method on utility pole change out projects? TEN Group offers the powerful 60 Ton hydraulic dual cylinder Pole Puller (XHD-60), also available for Hire through TEN Hire.

With a 600mm dual hydraulic cylinder stroke, this Pole Puller provides superior efficiency and increased safety in comparison to traditional methods by eliminating manual handling risks such as awkward heavy bends.

The complete unit simply lifts into place by borer crane and is ready to start pulling

Above: Robust dual cylinder 600mm hydraulic rams ‘push’ the pole out of the ground

with no heavy lifting required by workers.

Utilisation of the 60 Ton Pole Puller also reduces the risk of overloading lifter borer crane winch ropes.

The XDH-60 features cam-heads with bevelled teeth to obtain maximum grip on utility poles being pulled up to 700mm in diameter. After the teeth have gripped into the pole, and the guide chain is in place, the pole is effectively ‘pushed’ up out of the hole by the extending rams. This results in improved productivity by not having to reset chains and hydraulic ram. Stability of the Pole Puller is increased due to a large external footprint of 1200mm2. Used with open or closed centre hydraulic systems, the Pole Puller is fitted with 7.5m hydraulic hoses and utilises the existing low pressure tool circuit of the lifter borer, crane truck or EWP. Gaining rapid credibility after trials in QLD, NSW and now VIC, a number of utilities have been amazed at the speed and safety this XHD-60 provides in comparison to existing single ram Pole Pullers. With its increased gripping capability, the Pole Puller ensures the pulling chain does not slip up the pole like conventional methods, saving valuable time on projects. Being an all-encompassing unit, the Pole Puller also reduces set up time between pole extractions compared to older methods where several parts may need to be moved into place to perform the same task. These benefits have led to numerous purchases of the XHD-60 Pole Pullers after both onsite trials and hire periods with TEN Hire.

Whether hiring or purchasing an XHD-60, TEN provide a complete training package

more efficient, productive and safe. All products are field tested and approved by transmission and distribution maintenance professionals.

TEN Group’s certification to ISO9001 Quality Systems and AS4801 Safety Management Systems backs their commitment in providing quality solutions with a focus on safety to the Energy Industry.

Product information and demonstration video is available at www.tengroup.com.au.

For Hire information contact Ian ‘Scotty’ Scott on 0417 772 341.

Above: Site set up for pole changeover with Hydraulic Pole Puller

consisting of product overview and operation, Risk Assessment and face to face training with written and practical assessments to ensure staff are competent in the operation of the Pole Puller.

TEN Hire understand the needs of customers requiring enhanced safety benefits and efficient solutions on jobs and as a result continually strive to improve their service to customers through investment in new equipment and technology.

The Manufacturer Diversified Products has been collaborating with people on the front line of the utility industry for more than 15 years. By working with and listening to the specific demands of linemen, Diversified develop field-tested solutions to make jobs

REDUCE: Manual handling risks and awkward heavy bends MINIMISE

winch rope www.tengroup.com.au | Phone : 07 3212 8999

Above: The 60T Hydraulic Pole Puller is easily lifted into position and between pole extractions by a lifter-borer or crane

the energy network

Our|Energy, Your Power.

Australian Power & Energy News - Page 7

Dry season sparks Power and Water’s intensive works program

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HE NORTHERN Territory’s dry season provides Power and Water Corporation with a short window of opportunity for an intensive maintenance and upgrade program. Poles, wires, transformers and substations all benefit from this condensed program every year between May and September.

“Providing a more reliable service is the key factor in these maintenance works,” Power and Water General Manager System Control Malcolm Conway said.

“Major maintenance is difficult during the wet season due to torrential rain and lightning activity and also because the demand on the electricity network is higher during this time.

“The dry season offers a short window of opportunity to safely complete a wide range of significant maintenance jobs and equipment upgrades,” Mr Conway said.

The intense nature of this work on a range of network infrastructure means some pressure is placed on the system and the risk of power disruptions exists.

“Power and Water is working hard to ensure these disruptions don’t occur and to keep customers informed of the times when outages are possible, even if they aren’t likely,” Mr Conway said.

Above: Power and Water’s Networks Crew working on 132kV line

Major powerline upgrade in the Dandenong Ranges AusNet Services has commenced a $40 million, two-year program that will improve the safety and reliability of the powerlines in the heavily vegetated, high fire risk areas of the Dandenong Ranges.

The program involves relocating approximately 44 kilometres of overhead high voltage (22,000 volt) powerlines underground and upgrading a further 20 kilometres of existing high voltage aerial bundled cable (HV ABC) with a modern design.

AusNet Services General Manager – Asset Management, Alistair Parker, said that the company is committed to working with the community to deliver one of Victoria’s largest underground projects.

“In the early 1990s, the State Electricity Commission of Victoria replaced bare powerlines with high voltage aerial bundled cable in high bushfire risk areas, such as the

Dandenong Ranges, to reduce power outages and the potential for fire ignition,” Mr Parker said.

“We’ve started a program to underground, or where appropriate, upgrade 64 kilometres of HV ABC nearing its end-of-life, beginning with powerlines that service customers in the highest fire consequence, fire prone areas of the Dandenong Ranges.

“Months of consultation with local councils has been done to ensure the upgrade program is undertaken with minimal community disruptions while adhering to the environmental sensitivities of the area,” he said.

AusNet Services believes it has overcome the prohibitive high installation and maintenance costs and the need to install large numbers of space consuming ground based ‘cabinets’ with a company-developed hybrid high voltage underground cable system.

“Our system will see cables buried deep below ground along roadways, rising only to connect

to existing power poles housing transformers to deliver power into homes via existing overhead low voltage lines,” Mr Parker said.

“This approach is aimed at reducing the impact to the environment that traditional methods may otherwise place at risk.

“This program complements AusNet Services comprehensive bush fire mitigation and maintenance activity and other key works, including those associated with the Victorian Government’s Powerline Relocation Fund.

“We are confident that this program will significantly improve the supply reliability to residents and businesses in the Dandenong Ranges and further reduce the risk of bushfires,” he said.

AusNet Services program began recently in Avonsleigh and is scheduled to commence at specific locations in Emerald, Kallista, The Patch and Mount Dandenong in the coming months.

Above: HV ABC (liquorice looking cable) that will be put underground or upgraded Page 8 - Australian Power & Energy News

Power and Water energises Ntaria/ Hermannsburg line

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OWER and Water has energised the new power line to the Ntaria community with the project being delivered for $5.82 million, $1.28 million below the estimate announced Managing Director John Baskerville.

“This new power line that connects the Ntaria community to power generation in Alice Springs will ensure a long-term, leastcost, reliable power supply for the region, with capacity for future growth,” Mr Baskerville said.

“The new power line will also deliver over $10 million in savings over 20 years compared with the supply of diesel generated electricity.

“It allows for the decommissioning of the existing diesel power station at Ntaria, which has reached end of life and would require a complete rebuild to continue functioning.

“The Minister for Community Services will celebrate the connection of the Ntaria line to the Alice Springs grid at the Tjuwanpa Outstation Resource Centre.” he said Power and Water’s Remote Operations Indigenous Essential Services (IES) Pty Ltd delivered the project that was jointly funded by the Federal and Northern Territory Governments.

“Just in the same way that a new car needs running in, the new power line has needed time to settle in and undergo a testing phase,” Mr Baskerville said.

“Now the testing phase is complete, official announcements can be made,” he said.

Ntaria is a major remote town that supports a number of smaller communities and outstations in the Central Australia region. The serviced population is over 1,000 including Hermannsburg, Wallace Rockhole and surrounding outstations.

Western Power invests in Walpole electricity supply

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ESTERN POWER will commence work this month on a $1.2 million project to install four kilometres of new powerlines in Walpole that will help to reduce power interruptions caused by vegetation and wildlife.

Western Power’s Regional South East Manager Tim Hunter said the project involved the installation of more than 50 new power poles and specially designed powerlines known as Aerial Bundle Cable (ABC).

“Walpole is a beautiful part of the world with an abundance of large trees and wildlife which don’t always cooperate with the electricity network,” Mr Hunter said.

“ABC powerlines are insulated conductors that are less likely to be damaged by vegetation and animals which is why Western Power is installing them in the Walpole area.”

Mr Hunter said the project was scheduled to start after the school holidays to minimise the impact on families and local businesses during the tourist period.

“The majority of the network improvements will be completed without power interruptions, but to carry out the work as safely as possible a small number of people will experience some power interruptions,” he said.

“People will be given advance notice if we have to interrupt their power supply.

“The project is part of Western Power’s commitment to provide a safe, reliable and affordable electricity supply to our customers across the network.”

Western Power will host a community forum to provide more information about the network improvements, vegetation management and the quality of power supply in the region.

FULTON INDUSTRIES AUSTRALIA has over 30 years of manufacturing and sales experience in the electrical industry. Now, adding to its own range of products are two well respected European Brands: RIBE from Germany and SOFAMEL from Spain.

Fulton Industries Australia has been appointed Exclusive Agents in Australia to represent RIBE Germany for HV Transmission Fittings.

RIBE – Leading International Manufacturer of Electrical Fittings

RIBE is a highly respected family Company with 100 years of experience and the technical expertise to promote the development, design and manufacture of complex innovative products.

SOFAMEL S.A. is a Spanish Company dedicated to the production of Electrical Connectors, Safety and Electrical Protection. Fulton Industries is proud to be appointed the Australian Distributor for Safety and Protection Equipment.

SOFAMEL range of Safety and Protection include an extensive range of Earthing Sets, which can be configured customers’ requirements. These Earthing Sets are designed to suit both Overhead Lines and Substation Earths. A range of Fibreglass Operating Sticks are available in Fixed Lengths or Telescopic, up to 11.8 Metres long and working voltage up to 380kV, tested to IEC60855 Standards.

SOFAMEL has a range of Electrical Gloves including Dielectric (0.5 – 36kV), Composite (1-36kV) and Leather Over gloves for mechanical protection. A pneumatic gauge is available to test gloves for any holes not visible to the naked eye.

FULTON INDUSTRIES AUSTRALIA PTY LTD now accredited with an Integrated Management system; Quality - ISO9001, Environment - ISO14001 and OH&S AS4801

RIBE have been involved in numerous large River Crossing Projects in Europe including the BOSPHORUS CROSSING, where they designed and developed special

HELICAL Deadends and accessories.

RIBE has an extensive range of products for HV Overhead Transmission, Insulator String Accessories, Power Arc Protection, Helical Fittings, Optical Cable Fittings (Optofit) (OPGW and ADSS) and Catenary Railway Fittings.

RIBE’s range also includes their unique HV Transmission Wedge Type Deadend not commonly seen in Australia however used extensively throughout Europe.

Management and Staff at Fulton Industries are already seeing the benefits of a complete Integrated Management System in practise.

Australian Power & Energy News - Page 9

TransGrid’s Western Sydney Supply Project named a finalist in Engineering Excellence Awards

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AVING won the award three times previously, TransGrid has again been named as a finalist in Engineers Australia Engineering Excellence Awards, this time for the Western Sydney Supply Project.

The Engineering Excellence Awards recognise and celebrate contributions that both individuals and organisations make to the community through engineering innovation, creativity and excellence.

The Western Sydney Supply Project (WSSP) was established to address the need to provide an additional 330/132 kV bulk supply point within the inner metropolitan area of Sydney to alleviate emerging constraints on the existing cable network supplying the area load. The project will help to secure and strengthen the high voltage network which currently delivers electricity to the greater Sydney area and CBD. “The Western Sydney Supply Project was a challenging project that required ingenuity and perseverance throughout its delivery,” said Project Program Manager, Colin Mayer.

“The improvements to our power system will ensure reliable electricity for many years to come.”

The project included: • the construction of two new 330kV/132kV substations (Holroyd and Rookwood Road), • the installation of two 330kV underground transmission cables between the two substations, • upgrade of a 10 kilometre double circuit 330kV overhead transmission line between an existing TransGrid substation at Eastern Creek and the new Holroyd substation.

The project took place in a highly populated and urbanised area and this type of work would normally require disruptive excavation and road closures, however, TransGrid developed innovative solutions in order to minimise the social, financial and community impacts of the project.

“A major focus of the project was to minimise the impact on the local community,” said Senior Project Manager, Daniel Sartor.

“We were able to achieve this by maximising existing infrastructure corridors in the upgrading of an existing overhead transmission line and cohabiting of an existing utility corridor for the underground cable section,” Mr Sartor added.

In order to minimise the impact of the project on the community and the environment, TransGrid utilised an existing Sydney Water pipeline for installation of the underground transmission cable. The installation of the overhead transmission line was performed by acquiring and remodelling an existing transmission line from Endeavour Energy.

By utilising existing infrastructure corridors, TransGrid was able to eliminate the need to construct a new easement, which drastically reduced the environmental impact of the project as well as the impact on surrounding landowners and businesses.

This is third time in the past four years that TransGrid has been named as a finalist in the Awards’ Sydney Division.

Above: (Left to Right) : Sarah Conacher, Gregg Aynsley, Michael Williams, Michael Dunkley, Vijendra Prasad, Stephen Ford Winners of the Engineering Excellence Awards Sydney Division will be announced on Friday 19 September 2014.

TransGrid has been an integral part of delivering electricity to the people of New South Wales (NSW) for more than 60 years.

It owns and operates one of the largest highvoltage transmission networks in Australia, up to 12,800 kilometres of transmission line and

more than 90 substations, connecting generators distributors and major end-users in NSW and the ACT and also has links to Queensland and Victoria, facilitating interstate energy trading.

Its operations are closely regulated to ensure power system security and TransGrid’s aim is to provide a safe, reliable, efficient and worldclass electricity supply from power generators to distributors, which then deliver the electricity to homes across the state.

Western Power poles become living art

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ESTERN POWER crews have installed eight strikingly decorated power poles at South Coogee Primary School in Beeliar that forms a colourful art installation.

The recycled power poles were donated to the community after Western Power received a request from a local resident and the school’s art teacher.

Western Power’s Acting Field Services Coordinator Gavin Norris said the most suitable

Above: Western Power crew installing the decorated poles Page 10 - Australian Power & Energy News

retired power poles were found to meet the art project’s safety and aesthetic requirements.

“Our team met the challenge and sourced wooden power poles that were no longer suitable for use in the electricity network, but were structurally safe and untreated,” Mr Norris said.

“Our job of identifying the materials, coordinating the delivery and installing the poles was certainly the easiest part of the project when compared with the huge amount of work the students have put into the design and decoration.

“Judging by the quality of the art work, I’ll be waiting to see if a Coogee Primary School student will win next year’s Archibald Prize.”

Western Power is an active member of school communities and provides ShockProof! electricity safety lessons to more than 25,000 students each year.

“Western Power is part of the local community and our team was delighted to be involved in the art project that has helped to brighten South Coogee Primary School in more ways than just keeping the lights on,” Mr Norris said.

Above: South Coogee Primary School Art Teacher Yvonne Bux, Western Power Lineworker Matt Goff and student

Bushfires and Power Poles D O you want to eliminate pole top fires?

Eliminate bushfire damage to or by your power line?

Obtain better coverage from Insurance underwriters?

And at the same time have a totally non-conductive, lightweight, high

strength power pole with a “whole of life” cost less than all others?

The Dulhunty Poles Pty Ltd ‘TITAN’ Pole gives you all this, and more.

• It’s hollow so downleads and earthing can be run internally • It has an electronic RFID embedded

Above: Pole erected by Endeavour Energy in Kangaroo Valley, near Nowra, NSW

• • • •

which records its history and every time an inspection is made Termites and fungi won’t go near it It won’t rust or corrode Standard wood pole hardware can be attached It is totally unburnable and bushfire

proof. Fully tested to ENA Bushfire Test Protocol (Western Fire Centre) – performance excellent • This pole is the most up to date technical advance from the people who have been in the power pole industry for the longest time (over 65 years) For more information contact Dulhunty Poles: Phone (03) 5248 1661 Web: www.dulhuntypoles.com

Above: A pole erected by Ausgrid at the Hawkesbury River

Bushfires Bushfi res and Power Poles Dulhunty Poles’ TITAN Power Poles have many advantages other than just being totally unburnable and bushfire proof. Although a bit more expensive to manufacture they are:1 Just one third the weight of an equivalent strength steel reinforced concrete pole and half the weight of an equivalent hardwood pole. This means the cost to transport, store, fit out and erect is so much less that it saves more dollars than the extra cost to manufacture.

2 Add to this is the fact that they are hollow. Down lead connections and earthing can all be accommodated internally 3 They are totally termite, funghi and teredo proof.

4 Non-corrosive in polluted air or salty soils 5 Unlike reinforced concrete and steel poles TITAN poles are non-conductive making them a viable replacement option for wood poles.

6 Contain an RFID which records the history of manufacture and details of every inspection.

7 Standard attachments can be bolted on with drilled holes like a wood pole or with bands like a concrete pole.

8 Environmentally attractive, saves our forests (every wood pole was once a tree – every powerline a forest!)

Lowest Carbon footprint (Ipernica report).

9 Whole of Life Cost is the lowest – at the end of its service life it can be cut into fence posts or just ground up into useable gravel.

Each utility may put a different dollar value on these advantages but in all cases the savings to be made will be far in excess of any additional initial cost!

35 Buckley Grove, Moolap, Victoria 3221 P: +61 3 5248 1661 • F: +61 3 5248 6721 • www.dulhuntypoles.com

Australian Power & Energy News - Page 11

AusNet Services’ technologies ‘award winning’

R

ECENTLY AusNet Services, formerly SP AusNet, won two Victoria Engineering Excellence Awards for technologies developed in-house to improve the safe and reliable supply of electricity to its customers.

Winning highly commended recognition in the ‘Product design and smart systems’ category, these technologies protect customers from electric shocks and automatically restores power supply after faults within a minute.

AusNet Services Managing Director, Nino Ficca, said that these technologies embody the company’s commitment to improving customer services through network modernisation.

“I’m very proud of what our employees have achieved,” Mr Ficca said.

“Both of these in-house developed technologies are industry leading in Australia, if not internationally, and are already protecting our customers from dangerous electric shocks and improving their electricity reliability,” he said.

Low voltage electricity network monitoring: AusNet Services has developed an analytical-based application using smart meter network data (e.g., property voltage levels) to detect unsafe neutral connections from street powerlines into properties and predict future failures that can cause dangerous electric shocks to customers.

“Since 2013, our technology has identified and allowed the removal of nearly 1000 safety hazards that could have resulted in electric shocks to customers,” Mr Ficca said.

Distribution Feeder Automation (DFA): In 2006, AusNet Services developed a centralised autonomous ‘real-time’ fault location, isolation and rerouting scheme that restores supply within 60 seconds to customer of a nearby fault.

“Previously, when a fault occurred, such as a tree falling over a powerline, the electricity supply would be disrupted along a large part of the powerline, affecting many customers,” Mr Ficca said.

“Now, the DFA technology instantly pinpoints the fault on the powerline and automatically operates remote-controlled switches to safely re-route the electricity supply around the fault to restore power to the majority of customers.

“The process is completed usually under a minute, radically reducing the unnecessary time customers were without power while crews physically patrolled the powerline to find and fix the fault,” he said, During a storm event, the DFA technology automatically restored electricity supply to 11,500 customers in less than a minute, effectively halving the number of customers that were without power until powerline damage from fallen trees was repaired.

More information on the awards can be found at: https://www.engineersaustralia.org. au/engineering-excellence-awards-victoriadivision

Above: Unsafe neutral connection

Crews move into new Ourimbah Depot

C

ONSTRUCTION of Ausgrid’s new Ourimbah Depot is complete with staff and field crews currently based at Noraville and West Gosford set to progressively relocate to their new headquarters.

The new depot has been in planning since 2010 and includes an administration building, a logistics satellite store and warehouse, a garage and workshop facility and a pole storage yard.

Ausgrid Chief Operating Officer Trevor Armstrong said the new headquarters was a base for about 300 Central Coast staff.

“Our Central Coast crews are building and maintaining about 19 major substations, more than 62,000 power poles and kilometres of powerlines both overhead and underground,” Mr Armstrong said.

“The new Ourimbah depot has been strategically placed next to major roads, to make it easier to deploy staff and resources wherever they are needed on the Coast, in a more efficient way.”

The new depot is on a 39,000 square metre site on Ourimbah Creek Road between the Pacific Highway and the M1.

It is a base for the emergency response crews who serve the 150,000 homes and businesses on the Central Coast during storms and wild weather events.

It was designed with a focus on energy efficiency, including rainwater tanks, energy efficient lighting and motion sensors so lighting in areas not in use will be switched off.

“These measures help ensure a comfortable environment for our staff while minimising the ongoing running costs for this facility,” Mr Armstrong said.

Above: Paver laying at the new depot Page 12 - Australian Power & Energy News

Above and below: New Ourimbah Depot under construction

Manymak champions energy and water efficiency

T

HE MANYMAK Energy Efficiency Project championed its successes at a gathering at Milingimbi in East Arnhem Land where an estimated 100 strong crowd of local residents, project stakeholders and visitors attended the event on Tuesday 1 July.

Working across all sectors of remote communities to improve energy and water efficiency outcomes as well as building capacity within those communities, is an important focus for Power and Water, General Manager Remote Operations Jim Bamber said.

“Power and Water is very excited about this partnership project because it considers demand management of our important natural resources, is environmentally and fiscally responsible, helps community members save on their water and power bills and very importantly, is creating valuable employment opportunities in some of our remote communities,” Mr Bamber said.

“Initially, key barriers have been identified to energy and water efficiency in low-income Indigenous households and best practice engagement and technology approaches to address these barriers have been trialled.

“As part of the program, a group of Yolngu people from each community will be employed as Energy Efficiency Workers to help interested householders learn more about using power wisely to make power cards last longer,” Mr Bamber said.

The Manymak Energy Efficiency Project is designed to engage with up to 620 homes across East Arnhem, to provide energy efficiency advice as well as retrofits such as more efficient light bulbs and solar hot water systems. Promoting ways to use less water is also a feature of this work, as there is a need for greater water efficiency in many communities in the region.

“This project is the largest demand management project ever run in Northern Territory remote communities, and offers an opportunity to test a model for successful demand management that could be applied to other regions in the future,” Mr Bamber said.

Above: Energy Efficiency Workers at Manymak Celebration “This project has, and will continue, to achieve important social, environmental and economic outcomes.

“I want to thank our consortium partners, the Centre for Appropriate Technology, Charles Darwin University, NT Department of Housing and the East Arnhem Regional Council for working with Power and Water’s Indigenous Essential Services Pty Ltd to deliver this important program,” he said.

Milingimbi is the launching point for the

TransGrid’s MD named as one of Australia’s most influential engineers ransGrid’s Managing Director Peter McIntyre has again been named among the elite list of his peers with his inclusion in Engineers Australia Top 100 Most Influential Engineers.

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For the second consecutive year, Mr McIntyre has been included on the annual list, which profiles influential engineers from a broad range of industries including innovation, consulting, manufacturing and utilities.

To be included, each engineer’s credentials must be assessed by an expert advisory panel made up of their peers.

“I am honoured to be among such an esteemed group once more,” Mr McIntyre said.

Peter McIntyre has more than 25 years experience in the electricity transmission industry and held three senior executive positions with TransGrid prior to his appointment to Managing Director in 2010.

He holds an electrical engineering degree with honours from the University of New South Wales, and is Chairman of Grid Australia and Deputy Chairman of the Energy Networks Association.

In his position as Managing Director of TransGrid, Mr McIntyre is responsible for the development, maintenance and management of the NSW electricity transmission network, which ultimately services more than seven million electricity consumers in both New South Wales and the Australia Capital Territory.

Managing 1080 employees state-wide, Mr McIntyre believes the key to performance is

project, where the Energy Efficiency Workers have been receiving training since May and have commenced household engagement.

During the celebration event on Tuesday, representatives from the project and from the Department of Industry issued the Milingimbi workers with certificates acknowledging their work on the project to date, and this was very well received by the community who are keen to see more employment opportunities.

The Manymak Energy Efficiency Project,

also known as Dharray Manymakkung Pawaw Ga Gapuw, is a $12.5 million project taking place in six communities in East Arnhem Land with funding from the Australian Government’s Low Income Energy Efficiency Program. Manymak is a word from the Yolngu Matha group of East Arnhem languages and means ‘good’. The communities involved are Milingimbi, Galiwinku, Gapuwiyak, Yirrkala, Gunyangara and Ramingining.

ActewAGL scoops customer service awards ctewAGL has ranked number one for customer service in the energy industry according to the latest quarterly results from Customer Service Benchmarking Australia (CSBA). ActewAGL has now held the top spot for the 12th consecutive quarter.

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For the April to June 2014 quarter ActewAGL achieved 95 out of a possible score of 100 for service delivery and resolving customer enquiries quickly and efficiently.

ActewAGL General Manager Retail Ayesha Razzaq said, “My team work hard to maintain high standards of customer service. We strive to deliver a great result for our customers – whether this is from recommending ways to save energy, to finding the

right payment plan or installing solar.

“It’s not just about resolving issues; it’s about taking that next step with our customers to assist them in understanding their bills and energy use. We want to show our customers how we can help them manage their energy costs.

“Offers like even pay help manage bills, so does our online calculator, ActewAGL’s revamped energy saving webpage which features 76 ways to save and our energy saving workshops are some of the free services we offer our customers.”

ActewAGL has also been recognised for its excellent customer service as the Gas Provider of the Year in Roy Morgan’s 2013 independent annual awards and the Electricity Provider of the month for May 2014.

Above: TransGrid’s Managing Director, Peter McIntyre developing the right values and being consistent in word and action.

“Personally, I place great weight on integrity, dependability, being collaborative and doing everything I do with great passion,” he said.

“Accepting accountability for my actions and decisions is key and I pay particular focus to demonstrating this and in building these attributes in our key people.”

Above: ActewAGL call centre staff working hard for you Australian Power & Energy News - Page 13

Legend Power Systems recently released a mobile phone version of their website (www.legendpower.com.au) for all Internet enabled smart phone users. The new initiative has been

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Australian Power & Energy News - Page 15

New Energy Meter Analyser HE NEW POWERMASTER® 3 Series handheld energy meter analyser with true 3-phase capability is now available to Australian and New Zealand customers.

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Two versions are available: 1. The 3301 has the ability for customer load meter testing, register and demand testing, and provides access to vector diagrams, waveforms, and harmonics.

2. The 3302 adds CT and PT burden measurement, CT and PT ratio testing, and direct current inputs.

High Accuracy With an accuracy of ± 0.05% on direct current channels and ± 0.10% accuracy on probe channels, the PowerMaster® is four times more accurate than most meters.

User Friendly Operation The user interface is Windows CE based and enables the user to perform complex tasks with an easy-to-use dashboard. This allows the user to either select the appropriate test within the list, or select “Integrated Site Testing” which incorporates all tests together in a step-by- step process.

Hot keys on the front panel are used as shortcuts to quickly view the vector diagram, power meter, waveforms, and harmonics at any time during testing. With features designed to help the meter technician with their job, this user interface is a tool for beginners to metering that is normally reserved for seasoned technicians and engineers only.

Integrated Site Testing Using Integrated Site Testing, the user can easily test the entire site using a stepby-step process that eliminates mistakes and proves the installation is operating accurately.

Integrated Site Testing allows the user to perform tests in sequence that are built into the PowerMaster®. The user will have the option to customise each test for a particular site, which can be associated to any site in the database. These test setups can be created and customised as required.

both the Service and Service type selected correctly, proceeding with the Integrated Site Test will show the wiring diagram for how the connections should be made.

This gives users who may have not seen a particular service type before, the ability to learn how to make connections.

Instrument Transformer Testing Some of the more powerful features of the PowerMaster® are in the Instrument Transformer Testing section.

The PowerMaster® 3302 has the ability to sequentially test all three CTs and PTs in the metering circuit. Using the Hot Keys, the user can quickly view the power pairs (secondary and primary) for diagnostics.

Each test displays the graphs of the ratio and the parallelogram for all phases on one page.

An additional feature on the 3302 is the ability to measure the burden on the circuit.

With a simple quick test, the total burden of the CT circuit can be measured and analysed to determine the potential for an overburdened CT.

Customer Load Meter Testing Customer load testing on either model can determine within seconds how accurate the meter is under actual site conditions.

Determining this accuracy is valuable since the customer is being billed under these conditions.

Hot Keys The user can easily access important functions at any time with dedicated buttons on the PowerMaster® front panel comprising: • • • •

Waveforms Vector diagram Power measurements Harmonics

Alternatively, all functions can be accessed using a PC/laptop or USB keyboard.

Creating a Test Plan Integrated Site Test is a 3-step procedure that guides the user through the testing process.

This process eliminates setup mistakes and simplifies the entire testing procedure. This procedure allows the user to make changes to the setup that was selected in the Site Editor.

To help users verify their wiring connection, once the test plan has been configured, and

Steps for creating a Test Plan Page 16 - Australian Power & Energy News

Waveforms This oscilloscope-type display shows the user the amplitude and phase relationships in time between the voltage and current. All phases are color-coded (A = red, B = yellow, C =blue).

The line density for each phase is used to differentiate between the voltages and currents.

The waveform display uses an auto-scaling function. This gives the user the ability to view both currents and voltages efficiently when amplitude is much greater than the other.

When harmonic distortion is present, the waveform lines will appear uneven to display non-linear load situations.

Leading or lagging power factor is displayed here. When the current waveform peaks after the voltage waveform, the power factor is considered to be “lagging” and termed as an inductive load. This is normal in most metering installations. When the current waveform peaks before the voltage waveform, the power factor is considered to be “leading” and termed as a capacitive load.

A leading power factor is not as common in metering, but is normally seen when capacitor banks are used in service installations when no load is present.

Phase rotation can easily be seen in this graph as well. Whichever phase voltage “peaks” first in time determines the phase rotation.

If the A phase voltage displays its peak first in the waveform, the rotation is considered to be ABC. In the graph above, the rotation is ABC since A phase voltage displays its full peak first.

Vector Diagram The vector diagram is usually the preferred tool for site analysis. In one screen, the PowerMaster® displays the phase relationship between the currents and voltages. The PowerMaster® considers this relationship to be the “power pair” where all power is calculated. The amplitude of the voltage and current (i.e. length of the displayed line) is proportionate to the current and voltage readings. In other words, as the current increases the line will increase in length. The phase angle is displayed to show the relationship in time (by convention it is displayed in degrees) according to the way the service transformers are wired.

The user is able to change the “power pair” when primary probes are detected (voltage and/or current). For secondary currents, the vector displays “SVan” to signify the secondary current for A voltage in reference to Neutral. Similarly, the secondary currents are labeled “SIa” to signify the secondary current for A phase.

If primary probes are detected, the user can press F4 to switch the “power pair” to view the relationship between the secondary voltages (SVan) and the primary currents (PIa).

The user can press the F4 key again to view the relationship between the primary voltages (PVan) and the primary currents (PIa) as well. Power will be calculated accordingly.

Leading or lagging power factor is also displayed here. As the current vector shifts to the right of the voltage vector, the power factor is considered to be “lagging” and termed as an inductive load.

This is normal in most metering installations.

New Energy Meter Analyser

As the current vector shifts to the left of the voltage vector, the power factor is considered to be “leading” and termed as a capacitive load.

A leading power factor is not as common in metering, but is normally seen when capacitor banks are used in service installations when no load is present.

Rotation (“ROT”) is displayed in the System (SYS) box to signify the rotation of the service transformers (ABC or CBA). The “SYS” values are the averages of the voltage, current, and power factor for all active phases.

Relationship Between Meter Connections and Vector Diagram This screen allows the user to view the service type connections (along with colorcoded PowerMaster® probe connections) and the associated vector diagram.

The vector diagram is always displayed to the bottom left and is show in a “unity” situation (power factor = 1.00).

See us at

Australian Utility Week Powermetrix, the manufacturer of the Powermaster and their Australian & New Zealand distributor, Pacific Test Equipment, will be exhibiting at Australian Utility Week, Melbourne, 18-19 November.

Power Measurement

PACIFIC TEST Equipment Unit 27, 7 Anella Ave Castle Hill NSW 2154 Phone: +61 2 9659 2300 Email: sales@pacifictest.com.au www.pacifictest.com.au

Harmonics This screen allows the user to view the harmonics present in the measurement circuit.

For each phase, both the voltage and current harmonics can be seen.

The current harmonics are shown as a bold red bar, and the voltage harmonics are shown as a thinner black bar. The THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) for both voltage and current can be seen at the top right of each graph per phase.

Internal Database The PowerMaster® has a built-in SQL database that can hold all information pertaining to the site including (but not limited to) the meter, CT, PT, AMR, account number,

address, substation, GPS coordinates, billing multiplier, and when the site needs to be tested again.

The user can easily select a pre-loaded component (meter, CT, PT, etc.) from the included database or create a new component to be associated to each metering site. Using the Meter Site Manager PC software, this information along with data results can be synchronized to the master database or formatted into a .csv or .txt file for exporting into the utility’s master database.

The major benefit of having the database on-board the PowerMaster® is the ability to create a daily test route which can either be setup at base or synched from Meter Site Manager before going into the field.

Australian Power & Energy News - Page 17

Hydro Tasmania

100 Years in Power

By Kevin Glancy

Senior Journalist – Australian Power and Energy News

O

N SATURDAY 17th December 1910, a small group of dedicated people gathered near Kanna Leena, a sprawling country property owned by the McAulay family at Shannon located in central Tasmania.

They were there to witness the turning of the first sod by Mrs. Ida McAulay to mark the opening of a service channel that would deliver water from the Shannon River for the proposed Waddamana power scheme.

Ida McAulay was undoubtedly a remarkable woman, a strident feminist who, despite living in a time when men for the most part ruled the world, had the courage to announce that; ‘a woman’s sphere is just that which she chooses to make it’.

Ida had already served as president of the Tasmanian Women’s Suffrage Association and was also trying to improve options for girls within the education system. Her husband Professor Alexander McAulay, was no less remarkable. He was a brilliant mathematician

and his pocket book compilation, Five-Figure Logarithmic and Other Tables (London, 1909) was already used as a guide by scientists and engineers around the world. The Professor had long advocated hydro-electric power development in Tasmania and as a couple, the McAulays were extremely proactive in their quest to improve the quality of life for all Tasmanians.

During her short but eloquent speech Ida said, “For I feel that in spite of the small gathering here present – the consequence of our distance from any centre of civilisation – it is a great occasion.

I feel that deeply, this turning of the first sod of the channel, which will bring the waters of the Shannon to do their great work at the Power House. It means the advancement of Tasmania, and the making of her of what she has never been and never would have been, but for this great water power scheme.”

Despite how prophetic her words were in 1910, the small group of people who had assembled to hear Ida speak couldn’t have possibly known that they had witnessed the first step in an incredible journey. A journey that would take many years to complete and one that would result in a vast hydro-electric scheme; a scheme that would ultimately deliver so much for the people of Tasmania.

Bear in mind that the first ingredient, Waddamana was still in the planning stages, yet in the years to come an incredible feat of engineering and construction would

Left: German migrant Bruno Tank at work in the pumping shed at Catagunya Dam Below: Ida MacAulay cutting the ribbon

For a century, the Hydro has shaped Tasmania’s industries, influenced its economy and improved the quality of life and welfare of its community. commence. It would result in a constantly expanding hydro-electric scheme that, along the way, would attract and unite thousands of people from around the world. Together with the local workforce they worked as one in extremely harsh conditions to create and deliver a solution for Tasmania’s energy needs that would be regarded internationally as one of the best hydro-electricity schemes in the world.

The Hydro, as it became known, would be acclaimed on the world stage as a superb example of how nature’s most valuable resource could be harvested to produce renewable energy and even better; using a commodity that could be recycled and never wasted.

Nor would that small group who gathered at Kanna Leena have known that, in today’s urge to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the imminent birth of Hydro Tasmania that would follow was environmentally, thanks to their remarkable foresight, truly ahead of its time.

For a century, the Hydro has shaped Tasmania’s industries, influenced its economy and improved the quality of life and welfare of its community. It’s a magnificent achievement and one that will continue to endure and provide benefits for many years to come.

It’s also a story that deserves to be told about forward thinkers and a pioneering time

Above: Gordon Power Station Dam Below: Italian tunnel man Antonio Antonucci and Australian ganger Bill Robinson (left) operate a jack-pick

when engineers were our heroes. With their imagination, innovation and initiative, they held the fate of this country’s much needed infrastructure in their hands. They weren’t academics but problem solvers, doers who delivered so much that has stood the test of time. Hydro Tasmania is a perfect example of that engineering excellence and it also stands in testimony of those who laboured in such trying conditions to make the scheme a reality.

For the thousands of migrants who came to work for ‘the Hydro’ it was to be their blunt introduction to life in Australia and they embraced the challenge. In their collective wake they left a lasting legacy, forged new friendships and were enriched by countless memories. Through times both good and bad they made this country their home and this country and indeed Tasmania, is so much the better for their toil.

Footnote: I am extremely grateful for the invaluable sources referred to in the following article. In particular, Hydro Tasmania at www.hydro.com.au as well as Samantha Meyer, Helga Grant and Jesse Clark; Heather Felton for her fascinating, historic insight in Ticklebelly Tales; Carol Haberle at www.think-tasmania.com; Australian Dictionary of Biography including authors; Allan Knight & Ann G. Smith (Vol. 9, 1983) G.J.R Linge (Vol. 7 1979) Bruce Scott (Vol.10 1986) The Mercury (Tasmania) and Engineers Australia. Thank you.

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HYDRO TASMANIA - 100 YEARS IN POWER

Waddamna area around 1922.

The Hydro Journey begins at Waddamana

O

N THE SURFACE, due to its close proximity to the Ouse River in central Tasmania, the McAulay’s second property called Waddamana, seemed to be the perfect place to establish a hydro–electric power station. However, its remote location in an area surrounded by rugged mountain terrain meant that building any substantial infrastructure would be difficult.

However, for hydro-electric advocate, Professor Alexander McAulay and his two business colleagues - landowner and grazier Harold Bisdee and James Hyndes Gillies, who was a metallurgist and mining engineer - such logistical problems weren’t a priority at the time.

James Gillies had invented and patented a new electrolytic process for zinc refining in 1907 and was anxious to put it to use. He had already succeeded with an experimental plant in Melbourne and now Tasmania was in his sights. Gillies wanted to establish a ‘carbide’ smelter to refine zinc in the town of Snug and he would need electricity to power the plant.

McAulay and Bisdee suggested to Gillies that by diverting the water from Great Lake and the Shannon River into the Ouse River, it could then be harnessed and converted into hydroelectricity at Waddamana and would provide all the electricity he required.

So in 1908, having formed the Complex Ores Company for the proposed zinc refinery, Gillies commenced negotiations with the Tasmanian Government. Under his proposal the government would build a hydro-electric power station at Waddamana and the company would buy back the resulting electricity at a cheaper rate.

This suggestion was met by much opposition from local vested interests including the Hobart Gas Co and the Hercules Mining Company.

Others had plans for their own refineries and collectively they saw James Gillies as a ‘monopolist’ who would deprive them of a market opportunity despite his statements to the contrary.

Subsequently and following local business pressure, the government knocked back Gillies’ proposal and so he sought the right for the Complex Ores Company to generate the electricity at Waddamana as a private enterprise.

This proposal was also met with similar resistance but this time Gillies succeeded.

In 1909 his company was finally granted a concession by the Tasmanian Government to use water from Great Lake to produce hydroelectricity. However, James Gillies had made some enemies along the way including Edward Mulcahy, who would later become Minister for Lands and Mines. Those enemies would continue to haunt him over the next few years, ready and willing to rejoice and capitalise on any failure he might encounter.

But that was in the future and the present was all that mattered to Gillies, McAulay and Bisdee and they established a new entity, The Hydro-Electric Power and Metallurgical Co. Ltd, to build the Waddamana Power Scheme.

Although work commenced in December 1910, construction was extremely difficult, not least because the Waddamana site was isolated and surrounded by mountain forests. The winter months were cold enough but snow made the going even tougher for those who worked on the site. Without a road linking Waddamana to civilisation, transporting materials to the construction site was a challenge in itself.

In order to overcome this problem, work began in 1911 to build a 25.7 kilometre tramway from Redgate to Waddamana with bridges constructed to traverse the Shannon River and the many creeks along the route.

The tramway was completed a year later, a remarkable feat in itself, which enabled a return trip to be scheduled every two days.

Teams of up to 15 draught horses were used to haul heavy loads of building material to the Waddamana site.

Labourers who worked on the site had to make their own way by foot which meant a two day walk from Deloraine. At that time they were paid around the equivalent of 80 cents a day and were provided with a tent and a sack of straw which they used as a bed.

Even though materials were now slightly easier to transport, work on the site remained difficult. This was not helped by an extremely severe winter in 1912 which was compounded by trade union pressures and problems with contracting engineers from British Westinghouse. Ultimately, with increasing and insurmountable costs, the company eventually ran out of money, bringing work to a halt.

James Gilles tried unsuccessfully to raise further capital in London but although the future looked grim, the fate of Waddamana was about to take a turn for the better.

To their great credit and despite financial difficulties McAulay, Gillies and Bisdee had highlighted an opportunity to enhance Tasmania’s power supply. Although their own ambitions had been thwarted as far as Tasmania was concerned – all was not lost.

In the early 1900s, the street lights of Launceston were powered by the hydroelectric Duck Reach Power Station which was constructed in 1895 on the South Esk River.

A few local industries were also generating their own electric power but much more electricity was needed to cater for an expanding population.

Waddamana presented a potential solution and in 1914 the Earle Labor Government grabbed it with both hands, paying just cost

price for the partly built works at Waddamana.

Along with the purchase it established the Hydro-Electric Department to continue construction and the Hydro’s 100 year journey officially began.

As for James Gillies? Following the government take-over Gillies abandoned his zinc extraction scheme and concentrated on his carbide enterprise. Unfortunately, that business would end up in receivership and was also taken over by the Hydro-Electric Department in 1924. Gillies then moved to Sydney to resume his career as an inventor and patented various inventions related to car lighting, sound proofing and a new type of dry ice refrigeration.

Sadly, by 1935 he was bankrupt but was granted an annual pension of £350 by the Tasmanian Government for services rendered to the State.

According to biographers Allan Knight and Ann G. Smith; James Gillies died, ‘disillusioned … frail, disappointed’, on 26 September 1942 at South Camberwell in Victoria.

Interestingly, Ida McAulay who had launched the first service channel for Gillies at Waddamana would later describe him as; ‘a sanguine, enthusiastic little man with bright eyes’; ‘an inventor and a dreamer - a gentleman who took no account of the ways of big business and men with financial power’.

It should not be forgotten that James Gillies’ pursuit of hydro-electric power for his business interests, along with Professor Alexander McAulay and Harold Bisdee, set in place a chain of events that would ultimately benefit all Tasmanians.

Below: Prior to purchasing the hydro-electric scheme members of parliment visited the worksite in 1914 Waddamana Power Station and high pressure pipeline in 1916

Australian Power & Energy News - Page 19

Fortunately, the official opening of the Waddamana Power Station which took place the following day went without incident.

On May 6th 1916, the Governor-General of Australia, His Excellency Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro-Ferguson officially turned on the turbines at Waddamana ‘A’ and the Power Station’s first two 4,900 horse power (3.65 megawatts) generators roared into life.

Their combined output was sufficient to supply power for around 250 to 300 homes at a time when there were about 2000 customers living in and around Hobart. It was an historic occasion as the Waddamana Power Station was the first major hydro-electric power station in Australia.

The Hydro-Electric Department has undergone a few name changes since 1914.

However, for locals the business has always been referred to as ‘the Hydro’.

It was renamed the Hydro-Electric Commission in 1929 prior to becoming The Hydro-Electric Corporation in1996 until the name was changed to its current form, Hydro Tasmania.

This occurred on the disaggregation of the

Above: Waddamna pouring.

HYDRO TASMANIA - 100 YEARS IN POWER

Hydro-Electric Commission on July 1st, 1998 when the government owned department was split into three companies - Hydro Tasmania which generates the power; Transend Networks which transmits the power and the retailer, Aurora Energy, which sells and distributes the power to Tasmanian customers. This division occurred in anticipation of Tasmania joining the National Electricity Market, which occurred in May 2005.

More recently. Transend and Aurora’s distribution role merged in mid-2014 to become TasNetworks.

Within the Hydro Tasmania group there are now two other important entities. Entura is its consulting arm and provides engineering, scientific and management services for a range of national and international clients. Entura is also proactively involved in the development and delivery of alternative, renewable energy initiatives.

The second entity is Momentum Energy which has expanded the Hydro’s reach beyond Tasmania by selling hydro-electricity to businesses as well as industrial and retail customers, on mainland Australia.

1914 – Waddamana Scheme revived and work continues

M

EANWHILE BACK at Waddamana in 1914, with the Tasmanian Government firmly in control, construction moved forward under the engineering guidance of John Butters, an extraordinary and talented individual who was later knighted for his contribution in a variety of endeavours across Australia. At the time, John Butters had been appointed Chief Engineer and General Manager at a salary of £1000 a year and work progressed fairly rapidly.

In 1915, he appointed Harry Curtis to be Engineer-in-Charge of Waddamana. Harry had a wealth of experience in developing New Zealand’s hydro-electricity scheme and his first task was to take charge of the fit-out of the Waddamana Power Station.

Construction work was mainly performed by locals who lived in the remote area and some insight into the daily life of the average worker has been provided by Lindsay Brown who worked as a pick and shovel man on the project.

His father was a shepherd who worked for one of the big land owners in the region and Lindsay, born on July 6th 1898, was the fourteenth child in the family. His story is revealed in Hydro Tasmania’s archives and he describes how, as a youngster used to seeing a horse pulling a cart, that seeing a car for the first time was ‘the funniest thing ever’. In his eyes here was a ‘cart’ going down the road without a horse in sight.

Lindsay explains his work at Waddamana; “I went to work at Waddamana, down on the power station there, in about 1914. Before that, I’d been working with my brother as a shepherd. At Waddamana I was a labourer on the pick and shovel. I wasn’t up on the top of the hill. That’s where the canal was dug, up on top there. I didn’t work on that.

The people who worked at Waddamana at the time were mainly locals – different ones from around the district. I lived in a camp and, my word, was that rough.’

Lyndsay was paid according to the amount of work he did. In his case he earned eight

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shillings and sixpence a day. Older workers who were less efficient due to their physical condition were paid less.

He explains how, as there weren’t any concrete mixers in those days, all the concrete work required for the power station, including construction of the pillars was performed manually. The ingredients, such as basalt, sand and cement were stored in big barrels before being mixed with shovels on boards. The concrete mixture was then carried in wheel barrows along planks to where the mix was needed. It was hard graft and the labourers worked a six day week with Sunday as their only day off to catch up on washing clothes or resting. But work hard they did and the fruits of their labour soon became a reality.

On Friday 5th May 1916, at the new Great Lake Dam, Ida McAulay, along with other dignitaries including the State Governor, Sir William Grey Ellison-Macartney, officially opened the sluice gates at the Penstock Lagoon.

This would enable the provision of water for the power station however, the ceremony didn’t quite go according to plan.

As the State Governor ‘vigorously’ wrenched the handle to turn on the valve to allow the water to flow through the wooden pipeline from the Lagoon into the Penstock Chamber there was a ‘gurgling roar’ as a column of water rose 50 feet into the air. As it came down it drenched the assembled crowd who were now fleeing in all directions to escape the torrent.

Apparently, the water had been let into the pipes too quickly, creating a back surge through a vent pipe near the bridge. The resulting watery explosion scared the 20 or so horses ‘parked’ near the bridge which sent them careering off into the bush. As the shocked State Governor sat on the ground drying himself, the GovernorGeneral, who was also present and seemed to be enjoying the incident, seized the first horse that was caught and galloped off to help catch the others.

Below: Barber Time at Waddamana Shannon camp

Above: Working – Shannon 1926

Above: Waddamna 1921.

HYDRO TASMANIA - 100 YEARS IN POWER

The Economy Expands and Demand Increases

I

N 1916, the introduction of hydro-electric power in Tasmania brought great change as a mood of optimism began to sweep across the state. The availability of electricity, although limited at the time, created motivation for business entrepreneurs and in turn, this generated much needed employment opportunities. It was the beginning of a prosperous economic revolution that would grow in intensity over the next 70 years. Only the Great Depression in the 1930s would temporarily slow its progress.

As soon as Waddamana ‘A’ had been commissioned farms, mills, mines and factories began to spring up everywhere putting a huge strain on the power station’s ability to supply enough hydro-electricity for both residential and business use.

Of course, to generate hydro-electricity you need water. It must be harvested, stored and

delivered to a power station’s generators. This would always be a critical factor in enabling the Hydro to deliver enough renewable energy. As the 1920s beckoned, more generators and water were needed to meet the increasing commercial and domestic demand for electricity around the island state.

In 1918 two important measures were taken to increase output from the existing Waddamana Power Station. The first was to begin installation of more generators and the second was to commence work on building a state of the art, multiple arch concrete dam at Miena.

The dam, located at the southern end of the Great Lake, would allow more water diverted from the upper Ouse River via Liawanee Canal to be stored in the lake which at the time was quite shallow.

CONGRATULATIONS TO HYDRO TASMANIA! Well done on reaching your centenary milestone, we look forward to powering into the future with you.

Zinfra is a leading service provider to the utility infrastructure sectors in Australia, delivering a comprehensive range of engineering, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

Image courtesy of Hydro Tasmania

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Australian Power & Energy News - Page 21

HYDRO TASMANIA - 100 YEARS IN POWER

1924 – The Hydro Responds and Expansion Begins

W

HYDRO TASMANIA - 100 YEARS IN POWER

1922 - Miena Dam becomes second longest in the World

I

N THEORY building a dam, apart from the usual material transport challenges associated with a mountainous region, would simply take clever engineering expertise and time. But when you’re working on any major infrastructure project there are always surprises and Miena would certainly present a few.

It’s worth remembering that in 1918 the digital age was still in the distant future and long before the advent of the kind of powerful earth moving equipment available today. The then Chief Engineer, John Butters, wrote about some of the challenges that the project team faced.

‘By mid-winter 1921 a large amount of work had been put into the dam at Miena, but we’d experienced extremely bad luck. In order to be certain about the foundations and their cost, trial pits six feet square had been sunk right across the dam site at the proposed positions for the buttresses. Everywhere solid rock was reported within six feet of the surface.

However, when we began excavating the buttresses and arch foundations, we discovered that in three places the rock disappeared within a few feet of the rim of the trial holes. We had measured to what turned out to be huge floating boulders. These had to be removed and then we discovered that three serious rifts existed at depths varying from 35 to 53 feet.

Above: Waddamana 1922

Small-scale mining operations had to be undertaken. One of the rifts was bottomed in September 1921 but the deepest one was the cause of considerable anxiety. This excavation earned for itself the distinctive name of “Glory Hole” and was the main reason why the whole of our program had to be put back by one year.

The cost of the work was also greatly increased.

By March 1922, we were able to start raising the level of the Lake and by the end of June construction on the dam was up to the 25-foot level.’

The Miena Dam was eventually completed in 1922 and the clever design minimised the amount of concrete required, which was a huge advantage given the remote site and difficult access. The dam is 12 metres high and 360 metres long and in its day was the second longest of its type in the world. It increased the water storage in Great Lake by a factor of four, enabling the flow of water to be regulated prior to its release down the Shannon River to the Waddamana Canal. The canal then delivered the water to the Penstock Lagoon and from there through the woodstave pipes and then onto the power station.

In 2001 Engineers Australia (formerly the Institution of Engineers) placed a plaque to commemorate the contribution made by engineers to the Miena project. It’s located beside the access road to the western end of the rock fill dam. It’s a fitting dedication and in a small way highlights the critical role played by engineers in the building of our nation. It must never be forgotten that without the skill and talent of engineers much of what we take for granted today would not exist.

HILE THE Miena Dam was being constructed, Waddamana ‘A’ also received a boost with the installation of 7 higher capacity generators and 5 transmission lines.

In 1922 a road to Waddamana was completed which made transport of materials easier and by 1929 the original 7 megawatt capacity at Waddamana had been increased in stages up to 49 megawatts.

Of course demand for renewable energy continued to increase and so a second power station was planned to replace Waddamana ‘A’. However, funding was in short supply and the more cost effective option was to keep Waddamana ‘A’ active and build a second power station at a later date.

In the meantime, in 1924 construction of the Shannon power scheme commenced. The aim was to capitalise on the natural vertical drop between Great Lake and Penstock Lagoon.

This resulted in the construction of the Shannon Power Station which began generating 10.5 megawatts of hydro-electricity in 1931, using water from Great Lake before it ran onto Penstock Lagoon and Waddamana.

The official opening of the Shannon Power Station was a significant event as reported in The Mercury newspaper on Saturday 31st May 1931. The article highlights the increased demand for electricity at the time and the

critical role that the Hydro played in ensuring business and commercial growth in Tasmania.

In this instance, according to the Tasmanian Premier, more electricity would be needed to power up the paper pulp industry which he states, would soon commence.

In the presence of a large gathering of representative citizens from both ends of the State the Premier (Hon. J. C. McPhee) yesterday officially brought into production the Shannon River power station…

The Shannon River station was necessitated by the growing demand for power for domestic and industrial purposes from all parts of the State…The station represents the last word in electrical construction, and will be automatically controlled, requiring a minimum of expense in upkeep.

The Shannon station has cost about £300,000, bringing the total capital cost of the HydroElectric Department to about £3,760,000.

Mr. McPhee expressed his pleasure at the occasion, which was brought about by the increasing demand for power by the Electrolytic Zinc. Co. that would absorb nearly the total output from the Shannon station. It was also necessary to make provision for future reserves, so that power would be available for the preliminary requirements of the paper pulp industry which it was hoped would soon be started.

Amid applause Mr. McPhee declared the station open.

Construction of Waddamana ‘B’ power station eventually began in 1939 and in part, Continued next page

Above: Waddamna opening.

Below: Shannon workers around 1926 Below: Waddamana men around 1922

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due to the advent of the Second World War, it wasn’t until 1949 that Waddamana ‘B’ began generating its 48 megawatts of hydro-electricity located right next door to Waddamana ‘A’.

Shannon Power Station continued to operate until it was decommissioned in 1964 followed by the closure of Waddamana ‘A’ in 1965. By that time Waddamana, having operated for 49 years, had been replaced by Poatina, one of the biggest power stations built by Hydro Tasmania.

It was located north of Great Lake. In 1964 it began generating a massive 300 megawatts.

Waddamana ‘B’ continued to operate until 1994 when it was finally decommissioned after 45 years of continued service. In the same year Tribute Power Station was commissioned and began generating 83 megawatts.

Partly due to the advent of the environmental movement and its successful challenge at Franklin River in 1983, major expansion slowed. However, although the Gordon-belowFranklin scheme came to a halt, the smaller Anthony and King schemes were completed.

These two schemes had an additional benefit in providing ongoing employment for the existing workforce.

In 1983 the Hydro Electric Commission became the Hydro Electric Corporation and was transformed into a service provider, rather than its original role as a developmental authority of the state’s water resources.

Above: Waddamana post 1965

Although consigned to history, Waddamana is remembered fondly. The old power station is now a museum and stands as a monument to that enterprising pioneering spirit that against the odds achieved so much.

When you consider that the small township of Waddamana represents the first chapter in a magnificent story that has spanned 100 years, it’s no wonder that it will play an important and deserved role in Hydro Tasmania’s ongoing celebrations of the centenary. A feature of those celebrations is Back to Waddamana Day, which is a free family day to be held at the

Below: Tarraleah Camp No. 8 was set up at Lake St Clair in 1937 and was in use until 1944

Waddamana Power Station Museum on Sunday 26th October 2014.

The Aboriginal (Tasmanian) meaning of Waddamana is ‘noisy water’ and in terms of the town’s influence on the welfare of Tasmania, it certainly made a lot of noise back in 1914. I’m also quite sure that if you listen carefully you will still hear the chatter of those pioneering voices and the heave-hoe of pick and shovel echoing amongst the foothills alongside the Ouse River.

HYDRO TASMANIA - 100 YEARS IN POWER

1934 - Out of the Depression came Tarraleah

T

HE ABILITY to adapt to the ebb and flow of the economic climate has been the hallmark in the survival and prosperity of the Hydro. It’s an ability that has been diligently exercised by those empowered to manage the facility throughout its one hundred years of operation.

One of the greatest challenges occurred in the 1930s during the worst economic period endured by the world in modern times. Unlike the GFC that left some countries better off than others, the effects of the Great Depression hit hard and no western economy was left unscathed.

It was the bleakest of times in Australia. The collateral damage caused by the Depression was further exacerbated in Tasmania by a looming electricity supply problem with the possibility of any solution further crippled by a lack of money and materials needed to increase that supply.

In 1934 the newly–elected Tasmanian government, as managers of the Hydro, reacted to the crisis swiftly and went some way into curing both the shortage of electricity and unemployment. The Tarraleah Power Development was approved by Parliament in July 1934 and work commenced in November of that year at Tarraleah in Tasmania’s rugged central highlands.

Logistically, construction wouldn’t be easy and to coin a lyrical phrase; money was too tight to mention. But where there’s a will there’s a way and in part, as a result of that initiative, Tasmania began to slowly heave itself out of The Great Depression and into a more optimistic economic climate.

For the 1500 workers employed for the duration of the project, the opportunity to gain paid work was too good to resist but for them it would be the hardest of hard times.

Work camps were hastily erected but offered little protection from the harsh, cold weather.

Beyond the working day there was little to do in the camps and the lack of any home comforts meant that there was no distraction from the rain and snow.

Above: Tarraleah At Ticklebelly Flat in 1934

This extract from Ticklebelly Tales highlights the bleak conditions as described by one of the workers, Joe Denny. It’s worth noting that in those days, unlike present work related policies, that if you didn’t work – you didn’t get paid regardless of the reason.

“Often when it snowed or rained you couldn’t work – there’d be a big frost and you wouldn’t be able to get your tools out of your toolbox.

They’d be stuck to the bottom.

“On your days off you’d just sit in the camp.

You couldn’t go nowhere because it was too wet. Or there was snow up to your knees. In the summertime it wasn’t so bad, if you could keep the snakes out and the March flies away.”

Journalist Joe Cowburn from The Mercury newspaper regularly visited the camps in the 1930s and he highlights the desperation of those living during the Great Depression.

“How they existed in that winter weather I don’t know. But the people who went up there were generally in poor circumstances. You see, they simply had to go to Tarraleah because it was either that, or starve.”

Over time living conditions did improve as temporary camps were replaced by rough timber shanties until the first permanent building, a chalet was built. This was followed by the construction of houses in 1937 and rather than being a temporary place of accommodation, Tarraleah became a permanent village. Initially the houses were occupied by managerial staff until eventually they became a source of accommodation for the workers.

As a Hydro village, Tarraleah would ultimately expand to become a town with its own police station, doctor, picture theatre and a library. Over the next 60 years, Tarraleah would play an important role in providing housing and relief for the many workers who contributed to the scheme which continued to expand. Eventually, the town even had its own nine-hole golf course and a heated swimming pool.

However, such luxuries would have been far from the minds of those who struggled in trying

conditions in the 1930s. Simply a secure roof over their heads and a pack of cards to occupy their down time would have been a blessing.

Initially, the Tarraleah Power Development centred on Lake St Clair and the natural source of its outflow, the Derwent River. The aim was to create the Derwent Catchment, a storage for water that could then be utilised to power the proposed Tarraleah Power Station.

Lake St Clair, a natural body of deep water occupying an area of 29 square kilometres was ideal for the purpose. It was the recipient of an average annual rainfall of around 2.3 metres and could provide a catchment area of 248 square kilometres. The idea was to raise the level of the lake by just over 3 metres to produce a full supply level at 737 metres above sea level.

A 3 metre high control structure would need to be constructed with 8 control gates to be used in conjunction with a pump house located on a natural bar upstream of the outflow. Although a practical component, the pump house was architecturally designed in a Grecian style to blend in with the view of Mt Olympus in the background and its clever location would enable pumping to be maintained even when the water in the lake was at a low level. Such was the classic, timeless design of the pump house that it continues to live on and is currently being transformed into a luxury wilderness tourist resort.

The pumping station housed 4 vertical shaft, 600 horse power electric motors to drive propeller pumps capable of a water flow rate of approximately 4,250 cubic litres per second. The pumps discharge the water into an enclosed, elevated flume prior to its ongoing journey to the power station.

Of course in the 1930s, an engineer was reliant on little more than a slide rule and Continued next page

Below: Tarraleah hut building crew

Australian Power & Energy News - Page 23

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construction workers only had the use of tools that would, when compared with the kind of building equipment available today, be described as primitive. For them it was sheer hard, manual labour and the completed development represents an extraordinary feat of clever engineering and the application of extremely disciplined construction techniques.

The project was further complicated, not only by the harsh weather conditions and the remote location but by the difficulty in accessing the site.

This was eventually overcome by construction of the ‘14 mile road’ from the Ouse-Derwent Bridge Road. Equipment and materials were transported by rail from Hobart to Macquarie Plains before being carried a further 75 miles by road. Haulage was performed by trucks with trailers designed specifically for the purpose and pulled by steam traction engines.

Tarraleah Power Station was constructed downstream from Tungatinah on the west bank of the Nive River and commissioned in 1938.

Tungatinah would ultimately become a location for another power station to be served by the existing catchment which was augmented in 1949 by the construction of Clark Dam which formed Lake King William.

Back in 1934 when the Tarraleah Power Development was launched as a way of providing employment in the Great Depression and to resolve the shortage of electricity it again illustrated an amazing degree of foresight particularly with regard to its location.

Over the next 70 years hydropower development expanded dramatically, capitalising on the state’s unique geography.

This ongoing expansion ensured that the supply of hydro-electricity would not only serve the interests of those living in Tasmania in the short term but would accommodate the needs of the generations that would follow.

Strategically, the location in the central highlands and more importantly the area around Lake St Clair and the Derwent River was the ideal starting point.

There are two sections in the Derwent hydropower scheme referred to as upper and lower. The upper section formed by the Nive river system in the east and Derwent River in the west has larger lakes and deeper lakes than the lower run-of-river section. As a result the area has been able to accommodate four main power stations in the upper section and these can release water for use in that section and send it downstream to other power stations depending on the amount of generated hydroelectricity required.

The lower section features another six power stations and as run-of-river, the water they access keeps flowing to create a cascade effect as it travels down river. In fact the six power stations use the Derwent River water multiple times and it’s a very clever recycling system.

Liapootah is the first power station in the lower run-of-river system, commissioned in 1960. Between 1957 and 1968 the other five power stations in the Lower Derwent Scheme were commissioned: Wayatinah, Catagunya, Repulse, Cluny, and Meadowbank.

The Tarraleah Hydro-Electric Development is a superb demonstration of human endeavour.

A magnificent achievement made more so by the nature of its origin.

Construction began in an era when engineers and designers skillfully applied their trade without the digital software advantages available today. They designed a scheme that could be expanded and it continues to thrive.

Tarraleah was given its first breath of life by the1500 workers who left their families behind and struggled in a remote location, through rain, frost and snow to earn what would be a pittance today. All this sacrifice, simply so they could put some food on the table.

These were people, like so many others who worked on the Hydro, who did not have a ‘lifestyle’ choice and the work they had to do was not their preferred vocation. In hindsight they were truly heroic in their efforts and their invaluable contribution improved the quality of life for all Tasmanians and will continue to do so for many years to come.

Below: Tarraleah Power Station on 12th March 1938

Above: While they were not invited to attend the opening ceremony at the Tarraleah Power Station, the mend from the workkshops and offices at camp number one celebrated in style

Left: Italian migrant Nick Mattiolo, driiving on an electric locomotive which hauled spoil from Liapoote Dam - Wayatinah tunnel

Tarraleah Power Station Development

T

HE WATER for Tarraleah Power Station travels a distance of 21 km from the Clark Dam and Butlers Gorge Power Station along two canals via two low-pressure pipelines and six penstocks. Originally, the power station had a smaller capacity with the installation of three Boving pelton turbines in 1938 coupled to 15 MW Brown Boveri generators. Between 1943 and 1951 output was increased with the addition of three English Electric pelton turbines coupled to 15MW English Electric generators.

The Tarraleah Scheme grew over the years with Butlers Gorge Power Station commissioned in 1951, along with the second canal in 1955. In 2004 Nieterana, a minihydro station, was commissioned utilising the water discharged from Lake King William into the second, or Number 2 canal.

Butlers Gorge Power Station, comprising an English Electric turbine coupled to an English Electric generator, is the first of the series of power stations that form the Derwent Scheme. It’s located at the foot of Clark Dam and is powered by water from Lake King William.

In addition to the generating unit the Butlers Gorge Power Station also houses two

discharge regulating valves to ensure water can still flow to Tarraleah Power Station during maintenance or malfunction of the generating equipment.

The second larger storage in the Upper Derwent is Lake Echo. During the drier summer months the water from Lake Echo is vital for maintaining high levels of generation in the Derwent. The water flows through Lake Echo Power Station (commissioned in 1956) and then, combining with other headwaters, on to Tungatinah Power Station.

Tungatinah’s five Boving Francis turbines were commissioned from 1953 to 1956, each coupled to a 25 MW GEC generator. The power station has recently received a major upgrade with three units modernised to ensure ongoing reliability. This is part of an ongoing program by Hydro Tasmania to upgrade and maintain all its assets in a similar manner.

The discharge from Tarraleah and Tungatinah power stations merges and flows on to Lake Liapootah which is a narrow run-of-river storage area. The water from both power stations is then used for the six Lower Derwent power stations (Laipootah, Wayatinah, Catagunya, Cluny, Repulse and Meadowbank).

FOOTNOTE: The town of Tarraleah which served the development so well is now a 120 ha tourist estate.

Headlined by the Tarraleah Lodge which provides accommodation and access to fresh water trout fishing, boating, bushwalking, mountain biking and kayaking. Tarraleah is also home to one of the highest altitude golf courses in Australia, something that workers in 1934 could only ever dream about.

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Page 24 - Australian Power & Energy News

This is a cradle designed to transport the old turbine shaft to and from a machine shop

Helping to reduce Workplace Safety Risk across Hydro Tasmania sites

BLH Safety Solutions™ congratulates Hydro Tasmania on celebrating 100 years of future thinking.

BLH Safety Solutions™ is proud to be working with Hydro Tasmania on a variety of projects towards maximising safety in their workplace.

The introduction of the innovative BLH STOP DROP™ SAFETY BARRICADING SYSTEM into the Hydro network is designed to combat one of the most common causes of work related injuries/fatalities being hit by a falling object.

BLH Safety Solutions™ is assisting Hydro Tasmania to reduce safety risk in the workplace in the following areas: ■ Protecting personnel in turbine areas from dropped objects.

■ Protecting personnel in high voltage areas.

■ Protecting personnel in the powerhouse area, including stairways, overhead crane and hand railings.

P.O. Box 141, Beaconsfield Tasmania 7270 Phone: Fax: Mobile:

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Australian Power & Energy News - Page 25

HYDRO TASMANIA - 100 YEARS IN POWER

1972 - Flooding of Lake Pedder creates conflict

T

HE GORDON RIVER Power Scheme and in particular Lake Pedder was the scene of a fierce and protracted environmental battle that was fought over many years. It preceded the Franklin River controversy some ten years later but was no less volatile.

There was nothing complicated about the battle lines. On one side stood the Tasmanian Government and the Hydro Electric Commission and their desire to attract and cater for more industry and commercial investment in Tasmania and on the other, a variety of groups from Tasmania and the mainland united by a common cause; to stop the flooding of Lake Pedder.

Given that we are now much more conscious of the environment, it’s important to recognise the context of the argument relative to that period in the 1970s. It was a different time and it wasn’t simply about the environment.

Since its inception in 1914 the Hydro has been a great motivator. 100 years ago, Tasmania’s entrepreneurial spirit had been awakened with the advent of a reliable supply

Above: Grodan Dam construction workers Below: Cark Dam last bucket of Concrete

of electricity generated at Waddamana. As a result, employment opportunities grew as commercial activity flourished. Combined with domestic demand for electricity, the Hydro was, from the outset, on a path of ongoing expansion simply in its efforts to keep ahead of Tasmania’s increasing population and commercial growth.

It was further compounded by the need to fuel the economy with the Hydro’s renewable energy to ensure that Tasmania maintained that commercial attraction in the face of its geographical isolation from the mainland.

With that strategy in mind, throughout the 50s and 60s the Hydro had continued to expand and a number of new power stations had been constructed. 1950 saw the commencement of the Trevallyn Power Development and construction of the new Trevallyn Power Station. In 1951 Clark Dam was completed along with Butlers Gorge Power Station.

Tungatinah and Trevallyn power stations were both commissioned in 1955 followed by Lake Echo Power Station in 1956.

In 1957, as the number of energy consumers passed the 100,000 mark Wayatinah Power Station was switched on.

Towards the end of that decade water from Great Lake was redirected with construction of a six kilometre tunnel to a new underground power station at Poatina and in 1960 Liapootah Power Station was commissioned.

1962 saw the construction of Catagunya Dam which is the highest post tensioned dam in the world and the Catagunya Power Station was commissioned.

Between 1966 and 1968 a number of power stations were constructed; Tods Corner, Cluny, Meadowbank, Rowallan and Repulse all came on line. In 1969 Lemonthyme and Devils Gate power stations were commissioned and Devils Gate Dam, one of the thinnest concrete arch dams in the world was completed.

Paloona Power Station was commissioned in 1972 and in the following year Fisher Power Station came on board.

Over the preceding decades the Hydro had succeeded in keeping pace with the growing demand for renewable energy, and the Gordon River Scheme was simply part and parcel of that ongoing strategy. It was for the Hydro business as usual.

However, in the late sixties, unlike today, the environment was only showing the first signs of being noticed as environmental groups

Above: Gordon construction meeting

began to gain a voice. It was to some extent the beginning of the environmental age in Australia and the concern for Lake Pedder quickly became a headline issue. Over the next 40 years the environment would continue to move forward to occupy centre stage where, as a political and social issue, it has been a priority ever since.

In 1970 Lake Pedder became the first highprofile environmental issue in Australia and the waters of Lake Pedder were about to be severely tested.

Lake Pedder was integral to the Gordon River scheme in its potential to create enough storage of water to power the proposed Gordon Power Station. The problem was that in its natural state it would be insufficient to generate enough electricity to meet the desired outcome of the scheme. However, by flooding Lake Pedder and using a series of dams, a significant catchment area could be created that would serve the needs of the scheme and cater for further expansion downriver if necessary.

Understandably, the preservation of Lake Pedder in its natural state was paramount to the concerns of the ‘protestors’ and for them any argument based on Tasmania’s economic needs was irrelevant. Lake Pedder, named after Sir John Pedder, the first Chief Justice of Tasmania,

Above: Gordon Dam instake construction

was an extraordinary gift of nature and as such should remain untouched.

Both sides had a defendable position but people’s opinions were clearly divided and it set the scene for a bitter battle and when nature is involved it can become highly emotive as careless rhetoric is thrown with ease.

As an example, in 1972, a Tiger Moth airplane crashed en route to Canberra. On board were environmental activists - Brenda Hean and pilot Max Price. They were on their way to attend a Lake Pedder protest meeting in Canberra. Tragically, they both lost their lives and protesters were quick to allege that the fuel had been tampered with by pro-dam campaigners causing the crash.

Subsequent investigations failed to support such a notion but even today, 42 years later, conspiracy theories are still commonplace, no doubt encouraged by the fact that, like any good mystery that keeps on giving, the bodies of the two victims have never been found.

As the protest continued at Lake Pedder, then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam even entered the fray on the environmental side but to no avail when Tasmanian Premier Eric Reece declared that he would not have ‘the Federal Government interfering with the sovereign rights of Tasmania’.

Despite the years of protest Lake Pedder was flooded in July 1972. The Hydro’s management could now move forward and the Gordon Dam would become the jewel in the crown. Although there would be other dams built and with the Franklin Dam battle still to be raged, the Gordon Dam would be the last major dam to be built in the greater hydro-electric scheme.

Continued next page

Page 26 - Australian Power & Energy News

Conntinued from previous page

The Gordon Dam is located on the upper Gordon River and is yet another demonstration of superb engineering skill. The dam is 192 metres in length with a height of 140 metres and it is the tallest dam in Tasmania and the fifth largest dam in Australia.

It was configured as a double curvature arch because it required less concrete in the wall structure than the normal and more traditional designs. This was highly beneficial due to the difficulty in accessing the site with materials.

During investigation of the site, because of the remote and rough terrain, engineers had to be ferried by helicopter until the 80 kilometre, Gordon River Road, the first road into the south

western wilderness, was completed. Building the road was a feat in itself and although construction of the long and winding road commenced in 1964, it took a number of years to complete.

The exact location of the dam in a deep narrow gorge was ideal but the Hydro engineers used the HEC’s special dam stress analysis program, which was a precursor to the digital software used today. Using the program the engineers progressively refined the shape until it met all the structural requirements with a minimum volume of concrete.

Not only did they achieve their objective but in doing so, they created a visually stunning spectacle which has since become a popular tourist attraction. The Gordon Dam is one of 25

Upper Gordon River Power Development THE UPPER GORDON River Power Development is located in the wilderness region in south-west Tasmania with two major water storages, Lake Gordon and Lake Pedder. The combination of the two lakes linked by McPartlan Canal has created the largest fresh water storage system in Australia.

Lake Gordon alone has a surface area of 272 square kilometres and a storage capacity of more than eleven million cubic metres.

Gordon River tributaries, the Serpentine and Huon Rivers, were both utilised in creation of the storage, with three smaller dams Serpentine, Scotts Peak and Edgar completed in 1972 and the huge Gordon Dam in 1978.

Gordon Power Station, commissioned in 1977-78, is located 183 metres underground,

and is the largest power station in Tasmania with a generating capacity of 432MW. Initially, it housed two Fuji turbines coupled to Siemens alternators until 1988 when a third Fuji turbine was commissioned. Each turbine has a fully embedded spiral casing with a spherical rotary inlet valve. They are connected to a common power shaft intake with a vertical lift, gravity-closed cylindrical intake gate designed to cut off full flow.

The station output is fed from each machine by 18 kV aluminium busbars to the surface switchyard then passed through three 18/220 kV power transformers and 220 kV outdoor switchgear to the TasNetworks transmission grid.

dams selected in a national survey to determine those with the highest heritage value.

In 1982 the Tasmanian State Parliament approved construction of the Gordon-belowFranklin scheme featuring the Franklin Dam and as we now know, it was never to be.

Although Lake Pedder had been lost in 1972, for the environmental movement there was an upside. As a result of that experience a far more politically aware environmental movement began to form and they would achieve victory over the Franklin Dam proposal with the help of the Hawke Labor Government.

On July 1st 1983, the High Court of Australia in a landmark decision, ruled by a vote of just 4 to 3 in favour of the then federal government.

In effect, Premier Reece’s earlier declaration with regard to Tasmania’s sovereign rights in relation to Lake Pedder or any other assumed environmental right had become redundant.

Those rights had been placed in the hands of the UN under the federal government’s obligation to UNESCO made on behalf of Australia.

A number of attempts have been made in the years since to gain approval to return Lake Pedder to its natural state. In 1995 a federal parliamentary inquiry examined the feasibility of restoration but found no compelling biological conservation or environmental reasons to restore Lake Pedder. But the point had been made in the fight for Lake Pedder and the end of large scale hydro-electric expansion was now looming large on the horizon.

The completion of the Anthony Power Development on the west coast of Tasmania finally brought an end to the golden era of dam building and expansion when in 1994 the Tribute Power Station was commissioned.

Above: Last bucket of concrete, Gordan Dam arch

During its peak construction period, the Hydro had employed more than 5,200 people and fittingly, the last hydro-electric power station was named ‘Tribute’ in honour of the thousands of workers who had sacrificed so much to build the State’s power system. For Hydro Tasmania a new day was dawning and it would now enter its next phase, developing wind farms and other alternative forms of energy as a more environmentally aware world beckoned.

Australian Power & Energy News - Page 27

HYDRO TASMANIA - 100 YEARS IN POWER

100 Years - Lighting up lives with jobs and opportunities

T

HE SUCCESS OF the Hydro over the last 100 years cannot simply be measured by the economic boost provided by the reliable supply of renewable energy. There is no doubt that the quality of life in Tasmania at all levels, from daily domestic needs through to commercial growth, has been empowered and enhanced over the last century due to the efforts of all those involved in development and maintenance of the hydro scheme.

The construction program at the Hydro spanned eight decades and at the peak of construction more than 5,200 people were employed on various projects. In all, the Hydro has employed around 30,000 people.

Following the Second World War over 3,000 migrants joined the Hydro’s workforce.

In fact, since those early post-war years, half the people working on Tasmania’s hydropower developments have been migrants. They came from some 30 countries including England, Poland, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe, eager to work in what was for them, a new world.

Their influence on Tasmania transcended the enormous contribution they made to the Hydro as they re-shaped its culture and added a new dimension to the way Tasmanians had been living their lives. They brought a variety of different multicultural customs, new food, music and art. At the Hydro they united with Tasmanian workers, bonded by a common cause and in turn created a new sense of community and the spirit was infectious.

New and diverse communities sprang up and many migrants settled in Tasmania and a great number of those stayed with the Hydro organisation for decades. Father and son, mother and daughter, multi-generational families who arrived as migrants and have since made careers at the Hydro.

But in those post war years it wasn’t all plain sailing. Thousands of migrants arrived in Australia and for most it was as if they had Below: Gordon Power Station construction of machining housing

Page 28 - Australian Power & Energy News

landed on Mars. They had left their country and extended families behind and there was very little about Australia that was familiar. Even the weather was different and for those who came to work on the Hydro it was something else again.

Conditions in the camps were primitive to say the least and in the following by Mr. W. Robertson (Courtesy; www.hydro100.com) he describes the kind of environment that must have greeted those migrants who came to Tasmania to work on the Hydro a few years later.

Interestingly, Mr Robertson is an example of the multi-generational aspect of many who served the Hydro. His father before him had worked on the first canal between Butlers Gorge and Tarraleah around the time of the Great Depression. Each day he would stand in line with many others hopeful of getting some work.

“The overseer would walk down the line, and irrespective of your working ability, he would point to, perhaps the first half dozen men, and say, ‘You out’, and to the same number on the bank, ‘You in’. This was to try to rotate the few jobs, so everyone could earn some money to feed their families.”

Following in the footsteps of his father, Mr Robertson worked on the Hydro in the early 1940s. It was even a strange new world for him and he wasn’t from some far off place, he was a Tasmanian.

“When the bus arrived at the village, there were two or three inches of snow on the ground and still snowing. Some of the bus occupants went immediately to get a return ticket to Hobart, while the rest of us, about half a dozen men and boys, were escorted to the office by a camp orderly.

“We signed on as labourers and I, for one, had no idea of what my work would be. I was nearly 18 years old, and there were a couple of other boys a year younger than me.

“After the office interlude, we were taken to a plain vertical board hut in amongst dozens of other huts. Inside the hut was a heap of straw and a pile of chaff bags. It was like the interior of a stable without the horse. We were told that we would be shown our living quarters, our hut, and we could come back and fill up two bags of straw for our bed mattresses.

“Inside our huts was a bed like a cyclone wire gate on legs, nothing else. No wardrobe or hooks to hang your clothes. Nails would have

Above: Winter, Tarraleah

to suffice when you could get them. The lucky ones had a sheet of galvanised iron supported by pieces of 4 by 2 inch wood on the side of their huts by the door under which you could stack a limited amount of wood.

“We were also told we could get credit at the store for blankets and essentials, such as an axe to chop wood for a fire. So I went to the store and bought a very blunt axe and a bluey coat that I hoped would keep out the cold a bit. I could have bought a file, but the big problem was that I had no idea how to sharpen an axe.

“My sister, Alice, had packed several blankets for me in my case, and wasn’t I grateful for her kindness that first night! In the middle of the camp there was a huge row of wood in eight foot lengths, and in order to get it into the fireplace it had to be reduced to two foot lengths. I must admit that first day I gathered up more chips than I cut wood, and to make matters worse the wood was green. I cut what I hoped would last me, not realising the way the temperature goes down in the Highlands at night time. I almost froze when the wood ran out. Even though I had managed to make the wood last most of the night, water that I had in a billycan in the corner had ice on it next morning.

“Between waking moments, and they were many, when I put more wood on the fire I tried to convince myself I was a sane person when I left a warm house and comfortable bed in Hobart to go ‘bush’. I wondered, too, what tomorrow would bring in this hostile environment that was so foreign to the way I had been brought up.

“Of course tomorrow had to come, and looking out of my doorway I saw a very inhospitable white world of snow - four or five inches covering everything in sight.’

Mr. Robertson continues as he writes about the working day.

“So to work. I had been assigned to the quarry gang of approximately 15 men, including myself, and I followed the rest to where I was to start work. There was no transport so everyone walked. It was still snowing, and I could only guess at what the day would bring. I was not really looking forward to it either. Already the cold was getting into my ‘townie’ bones…. …”That first day, and indeed, the first couple of weeks were agony for me. I found that the muscles I thought I had did not exist, except in my imagination. My back and shoulders ached so much, that I was praying the day would finish at dinner time. My fingertips were bleeding from handling the rough stone as the skin was worn off. Those were the days when you would probably have been sacked if you turned up at work with gloves on. Gloves did not come in until two or three years later. But I could see the logic behind working to keep yourself warm!

However it was only logical down to the knees.

Stomping around in the snow my feet were saturated and the lower parts of my legs were so cold I could not feel them.

“There was no relief from the cold and wet, because the Hydro had not yet introduced ‘wet and dry pay’, where you sat at home on wet days and got paid. It was ‘no work, no pay’…. …”This was my introduction to the world of men who worked in the bush. They were tough circumstances and as the saying went ‘you had to be tough with it’, but they were the men who built the Hydro. They were workers in every sense of the word, and, strange as it seems, everyone enjoyed doing their work. Hard to believe, but I’ve seen men in these conditions singing as they broke the stones.

Continued next page

Below: Pay Day at Butlers Gorge 1948

Continued from previous page

“The work was difficult, but you accepted the fact that this was normal, so you did it with the others. There were days when you wished there was something better, but the old-timers helped the young ones who were new to the job, and as long as you showed willing, that was all that they asked of you. The unwilling ones were few and they didn’t last long, when it was made known they were unwelcome.”

So this was the ‘welcome mat’ that would have been waiting for the many migrants who came to Tasmania seeking a better life. As hard as it would have been for anyone working on the Hydro in those days, these migrants had little opportunity for employment in their home countries. At least they were able to start a new and rewarding life far away from the economic hardship caused by the ravages of war.

But it must never be forgotten that their introduction to this country wasn’t easy. There was no red carpet to greet them and the work was hard. Many were separated from their families, their loneliness made more poignant by harsh and for them, foreign living conditions.

However, with their sterling contribution to the Hydro they succeeded and overcame the odds to make Tasmania their home.

Amongst those whose lives have been touched by the Hydro, there are many stories to be told of employment opportunities gained and careers made. Tammy Chu is the subject of one of those more recent stories to be featured in this edition.

Above: Gordon Dam rear view

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HYDRO TASMANIA - 100 YEARS IN POWER

With her feet on the ground Tammy surveys the world

I

N THE PURSUIT of cleaner energy solutions, Tammy Chu is both the present and the future. Hers is a remarkable story, not least because Tammy is a product of Hydro Tasmania’s leadership program and now, at the relatively young age of 37, presides over a staff of 220 as Managing Director of Entura, Hydro Tasmania’s energy consulting arm.

Tammy’s story began to take shape when, even as a young girl she wanted to make a difference within her community. Her leadership qualities were clearly recognised at an early age when she was made Head Prefect at St Michael’s Collegiate.

“At school I loved maths and science as they were the key to finding solutions. I‘ve always wanted to build things and so engineering seemed to be a natural career path. I knew it would give me the opportunity to improve the way things are done and in that way I could make a practical contribution to the greater Tasmanian community.”

But Tammy is not someone to do anything by halves and mediocrity in a vocation dominated by men was never an option. She attended the University of Tasmania and graduated with honours in Civil Engineering.

Following her graduation, Tammy joined Hydro Tasmania Consulting in the year 2000.

Initially as Manager of Project Services, where she oversaw the activities of 15 project managers, Tammy was then appointed Business Development Manager of Hydro Power & Dams. Her leadership qualities again came to the fore and as Manager of Water & Environment, she oversaw project delivery and sales with a staff of 160.

Tammy’s work in this role covered the gamut of energy-related engineering projects.

She worked on design and construction of mini-hydro and hydropower systems, including investigation and feasibility studies, environmental assessments and approvals, as well as project management and the application of human resources.

There was also time spent on national and international steering committees in both the water and energy sectors which further expanded her understanding and knowledge of world’s best practice. As well, she became the first female and now former president of the Tasmanian Division of Engineers Australia.

One of Tammy’s greatest strengths is her ability to see beyond her engineering skill. It’s a multi-dimensional approach that considers project design not just from an environmental perspective but in tandem with cost effective business strategy, profit and revenue growth.

Below: Enturas CEWI

Page 30 - Australian Power & Energy News

In 2011 Tammy was appointed Managing Director of Entura. As one of Australia’s most experienced energy and water consultancies, with a wealth of expertise gathered over the last 100 years through its parent company Hydro Tasmania, it’s an opportunity that Tammy plans to make the most of.

Entura has offices in Cambridge (Tasmania), Melbourne, Brisbane, New Delhi and Cape Town and as an alternative energy creator, Entura has a global reach and influence that places Tammy at the heart of the development of new cleaner energy technology. Tammy has a clearly defined mission at Entura with an emphasis on service delivery, as she says.

“At Entura we have the capacity and the experience to lead the way as far as applying new technologies across the energy sector both in Australia and overseas. We are focused on delivering innovative engineering, scientific and environmental solutions that conform to our clients’ expectations.

“The scope of those solutions although diverse is essentially directed at four major and vital industrial sectors. How water and hydropower is managed and sustained; improving power engineering and transmission, as well as conducting environmental management and investigations.”

Entura already has proven itself with a number of wins on the board and its influence is rapidly expanding. Closer to home, Entura’s environmental expertise can be found at work with land and aquatic management for wind farm approvals on behalf of Hydro Tasmania.

Back in 1997 the company provided specialist scientific resources and policy advice to ensure that the Hydro’s Aquatic Environment Program functioned effectively on an ongoing basis and Entura is still involved today.

Tammy is justifiably proud of Entura’s involvement in wind power and regards Entura as one of the most experienced wind energy consultants in Australia.

“We started in the late 1980s, investigating Tasmania’s wind resource and how best to harness it,” she says.

“By the early 2000s we had developed a broad portfolio of project opportunities across Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria. This included construction of the Huxley Hill Wind farm (King Island) and Stage 1 of Bluff Point in north-west Tasmania.

“Since these early days, we have been involved in investigation, development, design, construction, commissioning and operation of wind farms throughout Australia and in India, China, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.

“The Entura team has contributed to more than 60 wind farm projects around the world, and we continue to build our expertise in this space.”

The company has also completed projects for TasWater and its regulator, Tasmanian Irrigation, as well as projects for private developers and Local Government.

The refurbishment and upgrading of hydropower facilities and transmission lines to improve efficiency of output has been a feature of Entura’s work. Not just in Tasmania but in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland,

Northern Territory and overseas in Papua New Guinea. Entura is also highly active in India, Nepal, Sarawak and South Africa with the installation of ‘greenfield’ hydropower schemes.

Tammy believes that the future of energy services will be about efficiency and sustainability and can be delivered by using renewable technology and platforms. These are particularly beneficial in isolated and off-grid systems.

“King Island is perhaps typical of the way we can provide better solutions. The King Island Renewable Energy Program uses a combination of renewable energy resources which ultimately will make the island self-sufficient as far as its energy needs are concerned.”

Tammy recognises the gender imbalance within the engineering profession but it is not something she dwells upon.

“Although I would like to see more women in my profession because I believe, simply from a business perspective, that a diverse team can provide a broader range of responses, gender has never been an issue. For me it’s always been about simply being the best I can be at what I do.”

Below: King Island Renewable Energy Program Open Day

HYDRO TASMANIA - 100 YEARS IN POWER

An investment that builds on Tasmania’s natural strength

T

HE HYDRO’S infrastructure stretches across the length and breadth of Tasmania and capitalises on the state’s natural renewable energy advantage.

Wind and water are predominant in Tasmania, whether it’s the force of the Roaring Forties that produces renewable wind power or the abundant rain water that flows over the island’s mountains and down through its veins to produce hydropower.

The size of Hydro Tasmania’s huge investment in Tasmania’s natural resources is hard to comprehend. Currently, Hydro Tasmania operates 30 hydropower stations, two diesel power stations and a wind farm on King Island with an interest in others farms on the Bass Strait islands. Below is a list of power stations operated by Hydro Tasmania across Tasmania but that’s just a glimpse of what is an enormous investment. It does not include the many dams or the Waddamana and Shannon Power Stations and other power stations which are now in retirement.

There are also the associated buildings housing the vast amount of technology related to the power stations and dams, as well as the hundreds of kilometres of pipelines and power cables crisscrossing the island. Beyond the scheme’s generation of hydro-electricity there are various renewable systems both in operation and development as well as other hybrid systems highlighting Hydro Tasmania’s ongoing investment in emerging renewable technologies.

In 2006 the commissioning of the Basslink undersea cable between Tasmania and mainland Australia made it possible to send Tasmania’s clean hydropower to the rest of the country, allowing Hydro Tasmania to enter the

National Electricity Market. Soon after this, Hydro Tasmania bought its own retail business, Momentum Energy, to take Tasmania’s clean energy exports direct to market.

Basslink runs from George Town in Tasmania to Loy Yang in Victoria and its undersea section is 290 km long. It’s the world’s second longest undersea power cable.

The following is a list of Hydro Tasmania’s hydropower stations in operation across Tasmania. They have been built in six highrainfall water catchments which are formed from natural river systems in Tasmania’s rugged landscape. The water systems and power stations are interlinked through natural and man-made water channels.

DERWENT

MERSEY - FORTH

Butlers Gorge Power Station

Rowallan Power Station

Nieterana mini hydro

Fisher Power Station

Tarraleah Power Station

Parangana mini hydro

Lake Echo Power Station

Lemonthyme Power Station

Tungatinah Power Station

Wilmot Power Station

Liapootah Power Station

Cethana Power Station

Wayatinah Power Station

Devils Gate Power Station

Catagunya Power Station

Paloona Power Station

Repulse Power Station Cluny Power Station Meadowbank Power Station

GREAT LAKE – SOUTH ESK

KING - YOLANDE

Poatina Power Station

John Butters Power Station

Tods Corner Power Station

Upper Lake Margaret Power Station

Trevallyn Power Station

Lower Lake Margaret mini hydro

PIEMAN

GORDON - PEDDER

Tribute Power Station

Gordon Power Station

Mackintosh Power Station Bastyan Power Station Reece Power Station

HYDRO TASMANIA - 100 YEARS IN POWER

Above: Wind turbine close up

A commanding presence with eyes on the Future

H

YDRO TASMANIA began earlier than most in the quest to find cleaner energy sources and it is leading the way, dedicated to securing tomorrow’s smarter, constant baseload solution.

For eight decades Hydro was a major force and by the 1960s, with the construction of roughly one dam a year, the scale of hydropower development in Tasmania was enormous.

But in the 1970s-80s, the Hydro faced a new paradigm. Costly industrial development was less popular. A new appreciation of wilderness areas was emerging nationally. The failed attempt to prevent the flooding of Lake Pedder had galvanised a well-organised environmental movement opposed to further landscape modifications.

Nearly 10 years after the flooding of Lake Pedder, the increasingly organised environmental movement took its fight against Hydro to the streets of Tasmania and to the Franklin River to oppose the Gordon-belowFranklin scheme.

Ultimately, the outcome would bring an end to the era of large-scale hydropower development when in 1994 the Tribute Power Station was commissioned in the AnthonyPieman River scheme.

For decades a bastion of hydropower design, the Hydro now faced the formidable task of reengineering itself.

In the 1990s, the management committed to environmental planning, revegetation and site restoration. Technical expertise was directed to international consulting and alternative energy solutions were explored.

The prevailing westerly winds, referred to as the Roaring Forties make conditions in Tasmania ideal for wind power and in 1998 Hydro Tasmania constructed its first wind farm, Huxley Hill, on King Island to capitalise on this important renewable energy source. It was the second commercial wind farm developed in Australia.

The business built and operated three more wind farms on mainland Tasmania. The Musselroe, Studland Bay and Bluff Point Wind Farms are operated under a joint venture between Shenhua Clean Energy (SCE) and Hydro Tasmania through an entity known as Woolnorth Wind Farm Holding. SCE owns a

75 per cent share in the wind farms, and Hydro Tasmania retains 25 per cent at Musselroe, Bluff Point and Studland Bay. As well, the business developed, constructed and operated two wind farms in South Australia.

Internationally, it was involved in development of 18 wind farms in China and two in India, with joint venture partners.

Steve Davy is Hydro Tasmania’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of its retail arm, Momentum Energy which sells hydroelectricity on mainland Australia and on the Bass Strait islands. The dual managerial role provides Steve with a unique perspective both as a provider and an end user supplier.

Steve is also a Director of the Electricity Supply Association of Australia (esaa) and also represents Generators on the National Electricity Market Reliability Panel. As a former Senior Vice President at Bankers Trust Australia and having worked in the banking industry in various sectors including currency trading and derivative products, Steve’s understanding of the impact of electricity costs from production to the end user and its overall economic effect is comprehensive.

From a purely business perspective Hydro Tasmania has always shown a willingness to adapt in order to meet any challenge and to be proactive in the search for new energy technology. Steve Davy is justifiably proud of his company’s history and is confident that the strength of the company’s inherent DNA will ensure the prosperity and survival of Hydro Tasmania through the next 100 years.

“It’s always difficult to predict the future.

The digital age has brought with it a revolution that has completely changed the way we do many things and it will continue to impact well into the future.

It means solutions that perhaps were not evident yesterday will become more-so by tomorrow, so in the provision of electricity there are bound to be huge improvements.

Where they will lead us is difficult to say but there are a number of emerging technologies and Hydro Tasmania has a wealth of experience and skilled people to play an integral role in the search for the right answers.

Personally, I believe that there will be a mix of technologies that will ultimately provide the Australian Power & Energy News - Page 31

overall answer to our energy needs and Hydro Tasmania is perfectly placed to meet that ongoing challenge and to maintain our position at the forefront of those developments.”

To ensure that the Hydro continues to perform its critical role, an ongoing 10 year asset management plan has been implemented and Hydro Tasmania continues to invest heavily in upgrading its infrastructure to extend the life of all its assets. Performance is also a key issue and its hydropower stations are continually upgraded to increase efficiency.

“I do believe that hydro-electricity has an important role to play well into the future and we will continue to maintain and upgrade our infrastructure to ensure the security and reliability of supply. Our customers are our priority and our obligation is to meet their needs and that will always be the case.”

The Tasmanian Government certainly shares that view and does not underestimate the importance of the Hydro. It is regarded as a highly prized and ‘significant long term strategic asset’ with the capacity to improve the island’s economy and to attract new investment.

With its eye on the future Hydro Tasmania is highly proactive in the development of emerging technology and is an important contributor within the international renewable energy sector. The company is also reducing energy costs in rural and outback Australia.

It has reduced reliance on expensive diesel fuel with the use of innovative hybrid power systems in off-grid and remote locations. The company is continuing to develop similar offgrid, renewable energy projects for remote communities both here, in Australia and overseas.

Hydro Tasmania’s King Island Renewable Energy Integration Project (KIREIP) clearly demonstrates the cost benefit advantage of renewable energy. In simple terms, it shows how renewable energy can displace high-cost, emission-intensive fossil fuels in off-grid and remote locations.

KIREIP is a hybrid power system which is comprised of wind, solar, battery storage, flywheels, dynamic resistor technology, dynamic load control and the use of biofuels.

The mix of technologies is significant because the clever system can provide a reliable and secure supply of electricity regardless of whether the wind is not at strength or the sun isn’t shining. Overall the system reduces the cost of providing electricity to the community on King Island.

As a result of the success on King Island, Hydro Tasmania, in consultation with the community on Flinders Island, is currently investigating the development of a ‘Hybrid Energy Hub’ similar to the system on King Island. If the project goes ahead it will reduce the use and importation of diesel and allow Flinders Island, for the most part, to operate under the power of renewable energy.

Sustainable, renewable energy is the key to the world’s electricity needs in the future.

Page 32 - Australian Power & Energy News

HYDRO TASMANIA - 100 YEARS IN POWER

Centenary Celebrations

1914 - 2014 Events Program Public exhibition: 100 Years of Hydro A ‘mobile museum’ that tells the story of 100 years of hydropower in Tasmania and the people who made it happen.

Hobart: 18 October – 4 November The exhibition will finally reside at historic Tarraleah from 9 November.

Documentary film People of the Hydro: celebrating 100 years of future thinking This half-hour documentary includes stories of challenges overcome, technical innovation, and tracks the changes to the business over 100 years. It’s a thought provoking look at ‘the Hydro’ told in the words of some of the people behind the business.

Power station tours Take a rare look inside operating hydropower stations. Includes Lake Margaret Power Station, also celebrating its centenary this year.

Back to Waddamana A free family day on 26 October, to celebrate the historic power station that began it all in 1914.

Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra at Tarraleah

Above: Musselroe Wind Farm

Tasmania’s natural, renewable energy resources places the island in an ideal position to capitalise on meeting the demand for electricity. In the year 2114 you can be sure that the Hydro will still be a vital asset as far as Tasmania and the national grid are concerned.

As Hydro Tasmania looks towards the future we can be sure that it will continue to play a pivotal role in maintaining those lifestyle standards. The company also has a global role to fulfil and there’s no doubt that it will lead the way in sustainable hydropower development.

Below: King Island Advanced Hybrid Power Station – site of KIREIP

The world-renowned Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra will perform a one-off concert on 8 November paying tribute to the many migrant workers who’ve come to Tasmania over the past 100 years to work on development of the hydropower system.

The performance will include a specially commissioned work – Tarraleah.

Limited tickets.

Schools Future Thinking Competition You can also be sure that whether with renewable hydropower or combined with a blend of new sustainable technologies, Hydro Tasmania will ensure that as far as electricity is concerned Tasmania will always be selfsufficient.

Over the next 100 years Hydro Tasmania will continue as it always has; to be a clean energy provider contributing to the needs of not just those who live in Tasmania, but to the greater population on mainland Australia as well.

Children can play their part in the centenary celebrations by predicting how we will source and use energy 100 years from now.

For the full event program, or to share your Hydro stories and photos, visit hydro100.com.au.