Utility Magazine November 2019

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THE ROCK DRILL FOR A RANGE OF CONDITIONS

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he ability to innovate is a top priority for companies everywhere – and technology plays a vital role. Being able to see the data and understand with deeper insights what is happening with their networks has unleashed a new level of creativity and curiosity, and is helping Australia’s utilities run better, more efficient organisations.

In August 2019, Melbourne Water was acknowledged in the influential Most Innovative Companies list, published by the Australian Financial Review and Boss Magazine. In this edition of Utility, Michael Wandmaker, Managing Director of Melbourne Water, shares his vision for building a strong digital culture that allows the utility to continually evolve, experiment and innovate.

The utility industry is experiencing a time of unprecedented change. As a result, what may have contributed to the success of an organisation in the past could potentially be the cause of its failure in the future. Companies need to adapt and evolve to meet the ever-changing needs of their customers, especially when some of these customers have the ability to produce their own energy.

Western Australian energy provider Horizon Power is currently trialling the use of digital technologies to optimise power systems that feature a high penetration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER).

The trials involve the monitoring and control of solar PV and energy storage, with the aim of gaining the same level of visibility over DER that energy companies have had over centralised power stations for the last few decades. This will allow energy companies to more effectively manage DER within their networks, increasing hosting capacity and improving power system security.

With the Australian utility industry taking advantage of digital technologies to modernise existing work practices and ways of interacting with customers, protecting the sector against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats has become a matter of national importance – not only to ensure the security and reliability of these essential services, but also for economic stability and national security.

In addition to the emerging threat of cyber terrorism, climate change is now influencing all extreme weather events, which are occurring in an atmosphere that is warmer and wetter than it was in the 1950s. Across Australia, extreme weather events

are projected to worsen as the climate warms further, leading to significant increases in the intensity and frequency of heatwaves, bushfires, drought, heavy rainfall and coastal flooding.

In February 2019, the North Queensland community of Townsville suffered one of its worst natural disasters in living memory, when an unprecedented monsoon event dumped a year’s worth of rain in just over a week.

With more than 17,000 people without power during the peak of the disaster, Energy Queensland had a tough job ahead of it. In this edition of Utility, the energy distributor shares its insights into how it was able to protect the community, reduce the risk of damage to the electricity network and keep customers informed of impending outages.

It’s clear that now, more than ever, if you’re a utility asset owner, you need to be thinking about how your organisation will prepare for, survive and then thrive in the face of disaster. Utility’s newest event, Disaster Management 2019, taking place in Melbourne from November 21–22, is the place to be to ensure you’re up-to-date with the latest industry thinking when it comes to surviving crisis situations. Tickets are currently available at disaster-management.com.au.

If you haven’t heard the good news, the third annual Digital Utilities Conference and Exhibition is back in 2020. Taking place from 19–20 March at the Sofitel Wentworth in the heart of Sydney's CBD, the two-day event provides delegates with the tools to use digital technologies to accelerate and transform their organisations.

Digital Utilities 2020 will be delivered in partnership with Sydney Water and TransGrid, two utilities leading the way in digital transformation. We’re very excited to be working with these organisations and about the valuable insights they will bring to the program.

I hope to see you at an upcoming Utility event and as always, I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on the magazine, so feel free to get in touch at charlotte.pordage@ monkeymedia.net.au.

A WORD FROM ENERGY NETWORKS AUSTRALIA

DEMAND SIDE RESPONSE – GIVING ENERGY SOME FOOTROOM

Low demand days are a waste of energy. High demand days are a pain.

We need to rebalance our system to avoid high demand peaks because this is where money is wasted, both in higher power prices and the need for peak demand infrastructure.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OPPOSITE PROBLEM?

You may have heard of the “duck curve”, where the duck’s back results from too much generation and too little demand in the middle of the day. Recently we’ve seen regular episodes of zero or negative wholesale prices in several states due to this.

So, what if we could help flatten that out by shifting demand?

Some Australian networks are already trialling demand response measures that incentivise people to reduce demand at peak times when it is outstripping supply.

Given storage technologies such as batteries and hydrogen are still in development, the best answer in the short term is demand response.

DEMAND RESPONSE

Australia is only just beginning to explore the role that flexible demand can play in our wholesale market and in supporting the national electricity system.

In other countries, demand-side response has been used for many decades to provide system services and keep the electricity system secure.

onshore wind, and England. Scotland has relatively little load, but a lot of wind generation.

THE HUMBLE HOT WATER SOLUTION

One of the best sources of footroom is the humble hot water tank and immersion heater.

As thermal energy storage (rather than electricity storage), hot water tanks are a cheap and effective storage technology that can provide a very flexible demand turn-up service.

It also makes sense to incentivise customers to use electricity when we have excess supply. This could help shift demand from peak periods and lower prices.

Many household appliances such as hot water heaters, dishwashers, washing machines and, increasingly, EV charging could be run at times of lower demand to help smooth out daily usage.

WHY IS LOW DEMAND AN ISSUE?

Every electricity system has its “must-run” generation, usually large coal plants that can’t be easily switched off. However, even if you could, doing so would impact the stability of the grid, given these provide much of the inertia the energy system needs.

Renewable generation sources such as solar and wind could be disconnected from the grid, but that would be counter to any emissions reduction goals.

THE UK RESPONSES –TRYING TO INCREASE DEMAND

The National Grid, the Electricity System Operator in the UK, launched a program in 2015 to increase the role of demand response in managing the UK electricity system.

Power Responsive is designed to encourage commercial and industrial companies to participate in demandside flexibility services.

National Grid estimates that demandside response is saving consumers £500 million ($885 million) a year while reducing carbon emissions and reducing peak demand by more than 3GW.

In 2015, Flexitricity, an aggregator in the UK, created the first “footroom” service to resolve constraint issues between Scotland, with 7.3GW of

More than 50 per cent of domestic demand is related to heating and cooling, with 23 per cent related to hot water. Meeting this demand is not something batteries can currently do cost-effectively.

In Australia, we are starting to see hot water services and other load, such as pool pumps, managed so they can run in ‘off-peak’ times, which increasingly includes the middle of the day. Energex’s economy tariffs provide discounted electricity in return for making supply available for eight or 18 hours per day.

FOOTROOM INCREASES EFFICIENCY

While the new Wholesale Demand Response rule certainly envisages demand “turn down” or generation turn on to manage peak times, footroom and flexibility are going to be an increasingly important service to keep our electricity system secure and our markets efficient.

And central to any demand response is the customer.

Customers are shaping our electricity system with their investment in distributed energy resources, but customers, large and small, are key to providing the flexibility services we need to deliver a low-cost, secure and sustainable electricity future.

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In September 2019, the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) released two new papers: Urban Water Update 2019: Drought, Growth and Liveability and Blue + Green = Liveability.

Liveable, sustainable and productive cities and regions are critical to our economic wellbeing and quality of life. The urban water industry has a strong reputation for contributing to the liveability of Australians by providing safe, secure and affordable drinking water and wastewater services.

As Infrastructure Australia recently commented, “Many Australians rarely think of where their drinking water comes from, or where their wastewater goes. This is a product of the success of our water sector, which has provided high quality services to most users over many decades.”

Right now water utilities around the country are working hard with the community to reach the next level of water efficiency while also reducing leakage rates. Investments in desalination and water recycling during the Millennium Drought are now paying off with diverse, resilient and secure water supplies in our cities.

The Urban Water Update 2019 explores our industry’s future challenges and opportunities including population growth, climate change and water’s broader role in people’s lives, against the backdrop of the current drought.

To meet these challenges, the urban water industry is calling for a renewed National Water Initiative to lay the foundations for meeting water security needs for Australia’s rapidly growing cities and regional centres in the face of climate change.

Working together and sharing good practice across three levels of government with utilities, regulators, the private sector and most importantly our communities, to meet these new challenges and ensure all options are on the

table – including purified recycled water – can only enhance Australia’s health, environment and prosperity.

The urban water industry is also broadening its vital role in improving the liveability and prosperity of our cities.

The Blue + Green = Liveability paper explores how the urban water industry enables broader liveability outcomes including contributing to green and blue infrastructure to deliver benefits to physical and mental health by making our communities cooler, healthier and more attractive places to live, work and play.

Planning for green and blue infrastructure can start to unlock improved liveability outcomes, however there are currently no clear pathways to deliver and fund these initiatives.

The paper demonstrates the commitment of the urban water industry to take action. We are calling on the Australian and New Zealand governments at all levels to collaborate with us and take leadership to enable green and blue infrastructure to deliver liveability outcomes for cities and regions by:

• Harnessing the full water cycle with all water supply options on the table and by coordinating the incorporation of stormwater

• Integrating our approach to planning

• Implementing an effective framework for measuring health and liveability benefits

• Creating new funding and financing models for green and blue infrastructure as social infrastructure

While the last year has been dominated by drought and its impacts, overall the urban water industry has ensured we are in a better position than the last drought and have a focus on the future.

NEW WA MICROGRID FIRST OF ITS KIND FOR AUSTRALIA

The Western Australian Government has announced a consortium led by Enwave Australia to develop Australia’s first ever industrial renewable energy microgrid.

Lands Minister, Ben Wyatt, and Regional Development Minister, Alannah MacTiernan, announced that the new microgrid would be located at the Peel Business Park in Nambeelup, a strategically located industrial estate designed with a focus on agri-innovation and sustainability.

The microgrid will use a solar farm and battery storage, with electricity supplemented from the Western Power grid when required, to power the 120ha lot within the park.

The microgrid is an innovative solution to the high costs of extending the mains grid into the estate, and will speed up the development of industrial land and development opportunities for the Peel Business Park while delivering much-needed jobs to the region.

The microgrid will make it possible for 1,862 jobs to be created in the first 120ha lot, with a further 2,000 local jobs once the park is fully built out.

In addition, the microgrid will offer businesses looking to relocate into the park a saving of around 30 per cent off their yearly power bills.

Furthermore, to meet the increasing power needs of the Peel Business Park as it grows, the operator can lease roof

space from businesses to install a network of solar panels that will feed additional energy into the microgrid.

The microgrid can also be increased in size and is expected to extend beyond LandCorp’s current landholding within the Peel Business Park, with potential uptake from interested neighbouring landowners.

Mr Wyatt said that the government’s vision for the Peel Business Park is a place where business, industry, training, research and development come together, invigorating the Peel region and creating jobs that cannot be achieved without providing a secure and affordable power supply.

“In planning the microgrid project, it has been estimated that the renewable energy mix will help reduce power usage costs to business by around 30 per cent off regulated bundled energy tariffs,” Mr Wyatt said.

“This is a smart, sustainable solution for a broader project that will be built on innovation.”

UNITED ENERGY TRIAL TO HELP KEEP THE POWER GRID STABLE

Victorian distribution business United Energy will trial technology aimed at stabilising the electricity grid during major frequency changes and minimising the risk of significant blackouts under an Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) funded program.

The use of this demand response technology will allow United Energy to provide stability services without customers experiencing any differences or downtime in their energy supply.

ARENA is providing a $900,000 grant for United Energy to test whether its existing Dynamic Voltage Management System (DVMS) can quickly and securely manage frequency across the energy network.

The trial will use the DVMS technology as a Frequency Control and Ancillary Service (FCAS).

FCAS is the market typically used to stabilise the electricity grid during events that cause frequency changes. Traditionally, coal, gas and hydro generators have been used to stabilise the energy grid, but as the mix of electricity generation changes, alternative ways of stabilising the grid during frequency events are being sought, which is where DVMS comes in.

United Energy’s General Manager, Electricity Networks, Mark Clarke, said using the data from its smart meter fleets to support frequency could provide significant benefits to customers.

“Victoria is unique as our extensive smart meter network allows us to have in-depth insight and control of the network and this trial will allow us to look at new ways to use this data for the benefit of the broader community,” Mr Clarke said.

“We already provide one of the most reliable networks in Australia and this is about leveraging existing assets supported by new technology for the benefit of the broader power grid.

“Frequency events can have a major impact on power supplies if not managed quickly. We will be testing how this technology can support the stability of the national energy grid and minimise major power outages.”

Under the trial, United Energy will install frequency monitors and use data from its smart meter network to quickly act to stabilise frequency across its 47 zone substations, which act as controlling points across the electricity network.

Speed of response will also be monitored, with the system tested to automatically respond in less than five minutes to frequency changes.

By using this technology, United Energy aims to bring additional FCAS capacity (30MW) to the National Electricity Market. The system will be tested during the 2019/20 summer and well into 2020.

The trial will also look at what role regulated networks may have in participating in the FCAS markets.

“We want to work with the broader industry about how our networks can contribute to these services at least cost to deliver benefits for all customers,” Mr Clarke said.

ARENA previously provided $5.762 million in funding to United Energy as part of the $35 million three-year demand response RERT trial with AEMO. Under this trial, United Energy used the same DVMS technology to provide 30MW of demand response during emergency peaks.

$100 MILLION NATIONAL WATER GRID AUTHORITY ANNOUNCED

With a vision of securing Australia’s inland water supply, the Federal Government has announced the launch of the $100 million National Water Grid Authority.

The National Water Grid Authority will be a holistic oversight body which will utilise the world’s best minds, scientists and local knowledge to assess the myriad of water diversion and storage proposals, and provide a science-based approach to the future requirements of Australia’s water infrastructure.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Michael McCormack, said the authority will play a key role in shaping national water infrastructure policy and identify opportunities to build water infrastructure that will secure long-term water supplies across the country.

“It’s been too long since we built a major dam in this country, way back in 1987, and as we highlighted during the election, this government is establishing the National

Water Grid to take out the state-based politics and insert the science with a national-based approach to water security for Australia’s future,” Mr McCormack said.

“Water is the lifeblood of our nation, and we owe it to our primary producers and regional communities to deliver longterm sustainable water infrastructure to boost agriculture that will support the growth of regional Australia and meet the demands of a growing population.”

The authority will commence on 1 October 2019 and build on the $993.1 million already committed from the $1.3 billion National Water Infrastructure Development Fund to fund the construction of 21 water infrastructure projects with a total construction value of more than $1.98 billion.

Working with state and territory governments, the authority will develop a national framework to identify priority water infrastructure initiatives, including strategies to harness and harvest water storage and supply systems across Australia, to support the growth of primary industries and regional communities.

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WORLD-FIRST BIOGAS TO HYDROGEN FACILITY RECEIVES FUNDING

Western Australia will soon be home to a cutting-edge hydrogen production facility, after the Federal Government approved $9.41 million in funding for Hazer Group Limited (Hazer) to construct and operate the new facility.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) announced the funding approval on behalf of the Federal Government, with the new facility set to be located in Munster.

Hazer are seeking to build a $15.8 million 100 tonne per annum facility to demonstrate its proprietary hydrogen production technology which converts biogas from sewage treatment into hydrogen and graphite.

The Hazer Process production technology converts bio-methane to renewable hydrogen and graphite using an iron ore catalyst, creating an alternate hydrogen pathway to the traditional approaches of steam methane reforming and electrolysis.

Hazer will sell the renewable hydrogen for industrial applications and is exploring markets

for graphite including carbon black, activated carbon and battery anode applications.

Hazer said it aims to take advantage of waste or lowvalue biogas streams such as from wastewater treatment plants, landfill sites and other industrial locations to produce higher value hydrogen and graphite.

Hazer has identified the proposed location for the project at the Woodman Point Wastewater Treatment Plant, owned by the Western Australian Water Corporation (Water Corporation).

Hazer has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Water Corporation for the supply of biogas and to provide the project site for construction.

The construction of the facility is scheduled to be completed by December 2020 and begin operations in January 2021.

ARENA CEO, Darren Miller, said Hazer’s project represents a new and innovative way to produce renewable hydrogen, which aligns with ARENA’s new investment priority focused on accelerating hydrogen.

“Renewable hydrogen is typically produced by splitting water molecules using renewable electricity. However, Hazer’s process represents an alternative way to produce hydrogen using biogas sourced from wastewater treatment plants. If successful, this project will offer opportunities to

replicate the technology across other treatment plants and landfill sites across Australia,” Mr Miller said.

“This technology could help set up Australia as an exporter of hydrogen, and open up new market opportunities from the graphite that is produced as a by-product of the hydrogen production process.”

Hazer Managing Director, Geoff Ward, said there is significant interest in the potential for hydrogen to play an important role in the Australian economy through providing energy storage, services in grid support and resilience, in direct use as a transport fuel, and as a source of lowemission heat and power.

“The completion of the Hazer Commercial Demonstration Plant is a key step to demonstrate the robustness and value of our technology and position Hazer to capture opportunities in this important growth market,” Mr Ward said.

In 2019, ARENA commissioned a report by ACIL Allen Consulting to look into the opportunities for Australia from hydrogen exports. The report found that Australia is in a strong position to become a leading exporter of hydrogen, as global demand increases over the next decade, predicting Australia’s hydrogen export industry could be worth $1.7 billion annually to the economy and create 2,800 jobs by 2030.

TASMANIA ONE STEP CLOSER TO BATTERY OF THE NATION

The Battery of the Nation initiative is one step closer, with the completion of a major upgrade of Repulse Power Station in the Derwent Scheme.

Guy Barnett, Tasmania’s Energy Minister, inspected the upgrade with Hydro Tasmania’s Chief Operations Officer, Jesse Clark.

The upgrade will eliminate the risk of an oil spill by replacing the turbine’s oil hub with a new water-filled hub and make it more flexible and reliable with a new modern control system.

The improvements are part of a major upgrade to Hydro Tasmania’s Derwent system, which is expected to increase electricity generation by more than 80GWh each year by 2021, supporting plans to make Tasmania the renewable Battery of the Nation.

Mr Clark said Hydro Tasmania’s tenyear strategic asset management plan guides continuing investment to ensure

its hydropower assets remain fit for purpose, both now and in the future.

“In the year just ended, we invested around $105 million in generation assets, including the Repulse upgrade,” Mr Clark said.

“Prior to Repulse, we invested $28.5 million in upgrading the Cluny Power Station.

“Projects like this are about getting the most generation we can out of our existing hydropower assets by boosting efficiency and reliability.

“Longer term, the Battery of the Nation (BotN) vision involves major

projects like pumped hydro storage but this work also plays a vital part.

“The opportunities forecast to flow from BotN include thousands of jobs in regional Tasmania.

“With those job opportunities comes the need for industry and the education and training sector to work together to make our young people ‘job-ready’ when the employment opportunities arrive.

“Understanding what our future workforce will look like is one of our current challenges and, as a major employer in the state, Hydro Tasmania has a role to play in creating opportunities for the future workforce.

“We believe in investing in the future. Our biggest assets aren’t our power stations or our dams. Our biggest asset is our people. We employ more than 1,100 people in Tasmania, across Australia and internationally.”

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YARRA VALLEY WATER ENGINEER RECEIVES SCHOLARSHIP FOR BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS

Brendan

Moore has been awarded the Water Services of Australia Association’s inaugural Ross Young scholarship for his leadership in promoting diversity in the water sector.

The Yarra Valley Water engineer was also recognised for establishing a Pride in Water Network across Australia’s water industry.

Pride in Water is an initiative that seeks to create a more inclusive water industry specifically for LGBTIQ+ staff, contractors

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and customers so that all LGBTIQ+ staff feel safe, included and valued.

Currently all 19 Victorian water corporations, together with VicWater and the Department of Environment of Land, Water and Planning, have shown their support for Pride in Water, with a number of interstate water bodies keen to become involved.

Mr Moore said that his drive to co-create the Pride in Water Network together with fellow Yarra Valley Water employee, Jacquie Moon, came from his own experience working in the engineering sector and the lack of formal support networks for LGBTIQ+ staff.

“I love my job and the exciting challenges it offers, however throughout my career at different organisations, I have felt the need hide my sexuality or tolerate homophobic remarks for fear of limiting my career or ruining my reputation,” Mr Moore said.

“I registered with a national program to get an LGBTIQ+ engineering mentor and was told that at 29 I was the most

experienced engineer they had, and they asked if I could mentor younger engineers. I then realised how important it is for LGBTIQ+ role models to be visible and how an initiative like Pride in Water could really benefit other people like me in the water industry.”

Mr Moore will use the $5,000 grant from the Ross Young Scholarship to further hone his leadership skills and to build Pride in Water’s reach in the engineering and water industries across Australia.

Yarra Valley Water Managing Director, Pat McCafferty, said that the Pride in Water initiative goes to the heart of Yarra Valley Water’s values as a diverse, accepting and supportive workplace.

“Building a positive culture where everyone feels accepted and valued no matter what their race, gender or sexuality is the cornerstone of a successful workplace,” Mr McCafferty said.

“Brendan’s achievement and drive in growing the Pride in Water Network across Australia is inspirational and something that I hope more industries and businesses get on board with.”

To find out more about Pride in Water, visit prideinwater.com.au.

SEWERAGE PROJECTS WIN state and national awards

Amajor water utility has been recognised for its innovation, winning two industry awards for recently completed sewerage projects.

Unitywater’s Caloundra Sewage Transport System (featured on page 80) was awarded Project of the Year: New Installation by the Australasian Society for Trenchless Technology in Melbourne on 12 September 2019.

The project included construction of a 2.5km sewerage main along Nicklin Way, from Caloundra Road to Beerburrum Road. This ambitious project undertook the longest horizontal directional drill of its size in Australia. In contrast, the utility’s low-tech upgrade of the Kenilworth Sewage Treatment Plant won the Queensland Infrastructure Project Innovation Award at the Australian Water Association awards on 13 September 2019.

Floating treatment wetlands that mimic natural wetlands, combined with a solar power

array, delivered a low-tech, low-cost, low-impact upgrade of the plant.

Unitywater Executive Manager Sustainable Infrastructure Solutions, Amanda Creevey, said the awards showcased Unitywater’s innovation and adaptability in meeting the region’s demand for sewerage services.

“When constructing the Caloundra pipeline, we pushed the limits of large-scale engineering to lay a major sewerage artery that now services surrounding growth hotspots,” Ms Creevey said.

“In contrast, the Kenilworth wetlands and solar array harness the power of nature to improve the capability of a relatively small sewage treatment plant.”

Ms Creevey said both projects were delivered with minimum disruption and maximum benefits to the communities they serve.

Innovation reduces your Arc Flash incident levels

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Potential arc flash incident energy is reduced by automatically adjusting down the short circuit protection settings of the incoming Air Circuit Breakers (ACBs).

The Arc LogiX system utilises the Terasaki TemPower 2 ACB which can clear a short circuit fault in less than 30ms thanks to its patented double break contact design. 30ms is the fastest total short circuit clearance time available from any ACB on the market today.

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Robert Butler: AN INDUSTRY STALWART

Back in 1956, when Robert Menzies was Prime Minister and Betty Cuthbert was winning gold medals, a young Robert ‘Bob’ Butler was starting his electrical mechanic apprenticeship.

There wasn’t a big choice of careers in those days, but Bob was lucky enough to secure a job working for the local council. This humble beginning was to be the start of a career spanning more than six decades.

After eight years with the local council, Bob moved to Dandenong and the State Electricity Commission (SEC), where he spent the next 30-odd years.

A reliable and hard-working employee, Bob was a mainstay as companies were renamed, bought, sold, disbanded and divided. When the SEC was privatised in 1995 and the Dandenong region became a part of United Energy, Bob moved there. Then United Energy sprouted Nilsen Electrics, which then became National Power Services. Then Alinta, Jemena, Zinfra and IPD Services.

ADAPTING TO CHANGE

Not only has the past six decades been full of company changes, but also industrial, technological and communication changes.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Bob has been his ability to adapt, particularly considering that there weren’t even battery operated tools when he began his career – he used manual hand tools, like a hand auger or a brace and bit.

“When I first started working you had mechanical switches on top of poles. One of our jobs was to get up there and repair them, or do maintenance on them. Nowadays they’re all oil circuitry closes, operated by remote control,” Bob said.

“One of the biggest changes I’ve seen is the move from analogue to digital metering. Especially in the zoned substations where, initially, they had mechanical relays. Now it’s all electronic relays and everything is remotely controlled.”

But Bob has kept his skills relevant through the years, testing and repairing meters as they moved from analogue to digital technology.

But while he has kept his technical skills up to date, there is one area where Bob still struggles.

“My biggest challenge has been computers. I keep saying here that I’m computer illiterate. I can enter results on the computer, but if you asked me to do something that I haven’t

learnt to do, I’m lost. It’s as simple as that.”

It is easy to forgive Bob when you consider the way business and communications has changed over the course of his career.

“When I first started work we had one phone in the office. You picked up the phone, turned the handle to get the operator at the exchange, and then you’d ask for the number,” Bob said.

“When you got to work in the morning you were given a job, and you just went out and did it. You had no way of communicating with anybody.”

A TEAM PLAYER

“No matter what I’ve done, I’ve enjoyed doing it. I’ve been here 63 years now, but I think I’ve enjoyed the whole time!” Bob said.

“When I think back to all the great friends I’ve made over the years...it’s become an extended family in some ways.”

This is a sentiment shared by Bob’s colleagues, some of whom have known him for more than 30 years. Gary Lee, a colleague of Bob’s at IPD Services, said people have nicknamed Bob ‘Doctor Bob’ for his wealth of knowledge.

“People can take someone like Bob for granted and find it difficult to put into words how they feel,” Gary said.

“Nobody has a bad word to say about him. He is dedicated to his work, and has a strong interest in the people around him. He’s still a member of his local cricket club and even pulls on the whites when they are short a player or two!

“For someone to have lasted this many years – he must be doing something right.”

So how is Bob going to spend his retirement?

“That’s a bit of a joke at the moment. I think I’ve worked nearly every day since I semi-retired!” Bob said.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: MELBOURNE WATER LEADS WATER INDUSTRY INNOVATION

In August 2019, Melbourne Water was acknowledged in the influential Most Innovative Companies list, published by the Australian Financial Review and Boss Magazine. With more than 800 organisations nominated across Australia and New Zealand, making the list is no small achievement. Utility Editor, Charlotte Pordage, spoke with Michael Wandmaker, Managing Director of Melbourne Water, to find out more about how innovation is permeating every aspect of the business.

The AFR BOSS Most Innovative Companies list is in its eighth year and is the only national list of its kind. The highly competitive ranking is based on a rigorous assessment process managed by Australia’s leading innovation consultancy, Inventium, and a panel of industry expert judges.

The 2019 list was split into ten industry-specific categories, and Melbourne Water ranked third in the Government, Education and Not-for-profit category for its Virtual Reality Multi-User Training Platform.

Melbourne Water’s Managing Director, Michael Wandmaker, said the utility is proud of its innovation initiatives and grateful for the recognition.

“Being a part of this list is a validation of the high standard of our innovation initiatives – particularly in the areas of Virtual Reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT),” Mr Wandmaker said.

“Innovation is happening in all parts of the business, but this award recognised the work between our safety, IT and asset management teams as well as our research partners at

Deakin University’s Virtual Reality Lab in Geelong.

“The Deakin collaboration has helped us accelerate adoption of VR technology in a number of business applications, including safety training, building design and engagement. VR has become a core business tool with real benefits in enhancing safety and efficiency in our operations and projects. As a fast adopter in our sector, Melbourne Water is also creating opportunities for others to access our training content.

“We want to grow innovation across the organisation. Our formal senior leadership team training program emphasises creating innovative environments. That includes the courage to try things and not be afraid to fail. We’re using agile methodology in IT, of course, but also across less technical areas such as engagement, strategy development and education.”

IMPLEMENTING NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE BUSINESS EFFICIENCY

According to Mr Wandmaker, Melbourne Water’s advances in field mobility, spatial systems, public access portals and online platforms have all been notable improvements for the

utility and the community it serves. More importantly, smart and empowered people have enabled Melbourne Water to continue to approach and implement technology in an innovative way.

“Technology has been a core enabler in our business – the biggest game changer at Melbourne Water has been to build a strong digital culture supported by digital platforms and capabilities that allow our business to continually evolve, experiment and innovate.”

Melbourne Water currently has a number of innovation initiatives underway, and the utility has a strong focus on automating the operational aspects of its business such as treatment and delivery.

“One example is that we’re using AI and machine learning to efficiently move water from the Sugarloaf Reservoir, north of Melbourne, through the Winneke Water Treatment Plant and into the city’s water supply. Moving that much water involves many variables – the height of the reservoir, flow rates and other factors,” Mr Wandmaker said.

“Previously, we thought the most efficient way to move that water was by operating one of the six main pumps. We were able to analyse historical data which proved that a much better operational process was to use extra pumps at specific times. Its success is irrefutable: electricity consumption has fallen by a quarter, saving $150,000 to $200,000 every year at Winneke alone.

“We’re now investigating the use of AI to better protect our communities from flash flooding. Currently, flood prediction is based on rising river waters, which occur a few days after heavy rain, but the majority of Melbourne’s flood damage is caused by flash flooding, immediately after a storm. The AI solution we’re developing with Piccard will learn from past rainfall and flood data, and be able to recognise weather patterns that lead to flash flooding. The system will then automatically send SMS messages to people likely to be affected, as well as provide an early warning to local government to enable them to close roads in advance.”

Melbourne Water has also had success with using IoT technology to control pipe corrosion.

Cathodic protection involves connecting a sacrificial piece of metal (anode) to the pipe – in this case, the anode corrodes instead of the pipe. With this system, the anode requires routine inspection to determine when it needs replacing, which can be time consuming and a drain on resources.

“We’ve collaborated with a lot of smart people – Green Technology Services (GTS) Group, Sigfox network operator Thinxtra and IBM – to develop an IoT system to monitor these cathodic protection installations, removing the need for manual inspections,” Mr Wandmaker said.

“So far the prototype devices have performed without fault, and we’re planning to roll out the IoT system across our network of pipes. We estimate that network-wide implementation will pay for itself within three years, and the improved monitoring will also increase the service life of billions of dollars worth of assets by increasing the uptime of cathodic protection systems. Moreover, there is an

Movers and shakers: Melbourne Water leads water industry innovation

important safety benefit in reducing the need for Melbourne Water employees to travel to sites for inspections.”

Melbourne Water is also developing a prototype which utilises machine learning to detect vegetation coverage in its retarding basins. The algorithm detects the number of plants and even species present in these locations – a considerable efficiency on current manual inspection tasks.

Sensor technology and high-resolution imagery will be deployed to identify and predict sewer maintenance requirements, with machine learning software able to pinpoint areas of interest and map any changes over time.

ENHANCING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE ON AND OFFLINE

Melbourne Water’s customers range from the general public to water retailers, land developers and local government authorities.

Mr Wandmaker said the utility is very conscious of the responsibility that being a regulated monopoly brings.

“We continue to put considerable effort into living two of the four key themes that permeate our corporate and business plans. They are customer/ community at the centre of all of our decisions and continuous improvement to demonstrate that we are committed to continuously building a better business,” Mr Wandmaker said.

was co-designed with more than 220 organisations across the greater Melbourne region because we recognise that we can’t work alone to mitigate our population and climate challenges. Collectively, we can achieve so much more.

“We also need to equip our communities with the knowledge to help us make important decisions about how we manage water supplies in the future. If we had to invest in a major augmentation, we’d want our communities to understand all the options available to them: we can desalinate sea water, recycle wastewater and capture stormwater. We can dial any of these options up or down and these are decisions communities will ideally care about and participate in.

“A lot of organisations talk about community or customer engagement, but we really live it. It requires courage to expose a strategy at that level, but we’ve only seen benefits. Over the last few years, Melbourne Water has been through a massive digital boost aimed at improving the customer experience, enabling greater engagement, self-service and provision of information across multiple devices. Now we have made the switch to considering not just our current customers, but also our future customers and communities. It’s the only way.”

“The other two are living within our means (demonstrating that we spend public money wisely) and investing in our people (delivering a true safety culture and a fully integrated learning organisation).

“We are living in Australia’s fastest growing city; population is booming and the middle suburbs are densifying. It rains, but we know it does not rain enough and the filling season is getting shorter. Melbourne’s water storages are among the lowest they have been since 2011 –just after the Millennium Drought – and have declined 20 per cent in the last six years.

“We have challenges ahead of us with all of our services – from managing litter in our waterways to ensuring our sewage systems can handle increased capacity. It’s never been more important for us to work with our customers to make sure we can grow our city sustainably.

“We do not just want to be customer centric, we need to be. For example, our recent Healthy Waterways Strategy, which covers more than 20,000km of rivers and streams,

Mr Wandmaker explained that Melbourne Water continues to make strategic investments to enhance the digital customer experience – the most recent of which is its customer portal, providing a contextual experience to provide information and data specific to different customer groups.

“We understand that our customers want to connect with us in a variety of ways and recently launched our ‘citizens as sensors’ prototype within our call centre. After speaking with a customer, we have the ability to push out a simple web app to collect photographs and location information to fast track maintenance and service requests. We’re finding our customers engage well with this process and our customer response officers are becoming much more efficient as a result.

“The significantly improved and increasingly important use of all social media platforms provides us with the opportunity to conduct two-way conversations, get important messages out quickly and listen and respond to concerns and issues being raised within the community.

“We have also begun experimenting with the use of AI tools to obtain greater insight into our customers and their interactions with Melbourne Water. These natural language

processing tools give us detailed information around customer sentiment and engagement patterns, which in turn helps us better understand and meet their needs.”

INVESTING IN PEOPLE AND PARTNERSHIPS

Melbourne Water has not only invested in the recruitment and ongoing education of its people to match future skill and capability needs, but it has also developed strong partnerships with academic institutions, such as Swinburne, RMIT and Deakin University – with which Melbourne Water shares research and has developed groundbreaking prototypes such as the Virtual Reality Multi-User Training Platform.

“We actively participate in industry-based learning programs where university students are placed in technologybased roles within the business to ensure that our platforms and processes are leading edge,” Mr Wandmaker said.

“We have also created a culture within the business that facilitates our own employee’s development to ensure that they are challenged and have opportunities to explore and innovate. The roles in these fields are valuable to business operations and the prevalence of IoT and smart devices, in addition to the growing volumes of data available, requires us to be much smarter in our ability to manage information and extract insights from our data.

“Skills in data science and machine learning are increasingly important in our industry. However, it is critical that we pair these skills with strong business and operational expertise.”

A key objective of the utility’s Digital Innovation Hub is collaboration among its subject matter experts, operational teams, data scientists and technology experts.

Mr Wandmaker explained that Melbourne Water runs frequent ‘innovation days’ to showcase technology opportunities broadly across the business to demystify some of these technologies and connect digital expertise to the frontlines of business.

“In a digital transformation journey, having the right technology architecture and core platforms is crucial to sustained progress and momentum. We have created an environment of continuous improvement to ensure that we are always building a better business to provide high-quality service to the community we serve. Pace and agility are essential, and poor technology choices or legacy IT systems can quickly become liabilities that inhibit digital transformation,” he said.

“Our shift toward consuming cloud services and platforms gives us immediate access to the latest technologies in the marketplace to evaluate, develop and scale new solutions. We have established a Digital Innovation Hub to determine feasibility and prove the value of digital solutions before implementation.

“The Digital Innovation Hub uses rapid prototyping techniques to develop a low-fidelity product that can be evaluated with minimal investment. Working collaboratively with experts from across the business, a technology solution can be quickly launched and evaluated across a small group.

“A successful evaluation then produces a business case to develop and implement a production-ready solution at scale. This methodology provides a risk-managed approach to our investment and supports a culture of experimentation and innovation.

“We acknowledge that not all of our prototypes succeed, however we acquire learnings quickly and inexpensively that can be applied more broadly to other initiatives. It is essential that we provide our people with the tools, environment and flexibility to explore, innovate and experiment in a riskmanaged way.

“The ability to gain deeper insights into our customers, assets and operations certainly helps inform business efficiencies. The ability to predict and model different scenarios provides great efficiency in asset maintenance, network management and long-term planning for the Melbourne region.”

Michael Wandmaker was appointed Managing Director of Melbourne Water on 22 September 2014.

After a long military career, Mr Wandmaker developed extensive senior leadership experience across several industries, both in Australia and internationally. This includes electrical and mechanical engineering, energy, oil, gas, mining and water, having worked at Sydney Water in the mid-2000s.

Mr Wandmaker was previously global President of FT Services out of North America, Vice President at Siemens Canada, General Manager in charge of five Tyco Services companies, CEO of Silcar Maintenance Services and various executive positions at Transfield Holdings. Before coming to Melbourne Water, Mr Wandmaker was Group President and acting CEO of UGL Limited’s ASX-listed engineering, construction and maintenance company.

Mr Wandmaker has a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical and Computing).

Horizon Power aims to deliver energy solutions for regional communities in Western Australia by developing a pathway to the effective management of high-penetration Distributed Energy Resources (DER) and energy storage. Through the DER trials in Carnarvon, Horizon Power is planning for a highly decentralised energy resource future where customers have a choice in how they manage their energy requirements, and solar PV and energy storage will play a critical part in transitioning to a cleaner, fairer and more efficient energy future.

Our industry is adapting to rapid change with rising levels of renewable energy generation distributed across our networks. Customer expectations are changing as technology impacts so many other parts of their lives, and their attitude, quite rightly, is that we, as an industry, will keep pace. Across multiple sectors, we are seeing a wave of traditional businesses and services undergoing digitalisation by effectively leveraging frameworks like Industry 4.0, and using smart connected devices to transform data collection, build situational awareness and support data-driven decision making. We now have a myriad of new ways to connect to the hearts and minds of our customers through which we can cocreate win-win outcomes.

By developing new customer-centric products that build value for the customers who remain connected to the network, we can shift from a supply chain model to an ecosystem in which the customer plays an important role and the distribution network, complemented by digital products and services, is considered a platform on which the customer can build.

Figure 1 shows a potential pathway from a supply chain to an ecosystemic approach to electricity service delivery. By taking our core product and using smart connected devices to digitally augment the way we connect to our customers ‘wants and needs’, we can leverage operational data and analytics to improve service delivery. Traditionally reactive processes such as billing can be changed into an interactive journey, where the customer

has the information they need to make informed choices about their energy consumption, or generation or storage, interacting with billing options in a near real-time experience.

Digital services can enhance power system optimisation through DER management that seeks the best possible outcome for the customer, building value into their investment while providing valuable support services to the network operator. Eventually, we will reach a digital ecosystem where our relationship with our customers has subtly changed from consumer to trusted partner, and where a wide choice of DER and home automation products can be orchestrated to create a symphony of cooperation and co-value creation.

THE IDEAL TEST ENVIRONMENT

In preparation for this transition, Horizon Power is conducting a series of technology trials in the town of Carnarvon in the Gascoyne – Midwest region of Western Australia (WA) to consider economically-efficient options for microgrid operation. The trials are exploring the management of high penetration levels of DER, cloud-based aggregation of DER into a Virtual Power Plant (VPP), advanced data analytics and digital apps that provide customers with data on which they can make informed decisions.

Carnarvon, situated on the mouth of the Gascoyne River 900km north of Perth, has a population of approximately 5,500. In 2014, Horizon Power commissioned the 13MW gas-fired (with diesel peaking) Mungullah power station. Ownership of the power station offers control system access, and integration and optimisation options that would not be possible with an independent power producer operating under a power purchase agreement.

With an economic base of predominantly primary producers, Carnarvon experienced rapid uptake of solar PV in 2008-2011 with higher than average system sizes, typically 30kW, used to offset coolroom and water pumping power purchases.

The distribution system has a high feeder and transformer loading of solar PV, and requires sufficient spinning reserve to cover the variability in renewable energy generation caused by coastal weather patterns. Carnarvon was the first regional WA town to start pushing the boundaries of solar PV hosting capacity in 2011. The town's population has in the past held great enthusiasm for solar PV, with 121 customerconnected systems as well as two commercial solar farms operated by Solex (45kW) which was the first privately owned solar farm in Australia, and EMC (300kW).

The Carnarvon DER trials, which commenced in 2018, are primarily funded by Horizon Power with a $1.92 million contribution from ARENA’s Advancing Renewables Fund and include a team of researchers from the Engineering and Energy Discipline at Murdoch University.

This project aims to resolve the technical, operational and transitional barriers to a high-penetration DER business future by conducting a series of technology trials and experiments over three years, involving the monitoring and control of solar PV and energy storage.

The questions we seek to answer are:

• Do we understand the operational risks associated with a DER control solution?

• Can the control techniques we are developing manage DER in a microgrid to support Horizon Power’s highpenetration DER future assumptions?

• Can a DER management solution monitor and control energy storage to reduce peak demand and peak export?

• Can a control solution be used to increase DER hosting capacity and penetration of renewable energy into the network?

Moreover, can the project provide market research concerning a customer’s willingness to embrace new technology and invest in PV and battery systems?

Our project hypothesis is that, in the future, if we can gain the level of visibility and control over distributed energy generation that we have had over centralised power stations for the last few decades, we can manage the contribution from DER to increase hosting capacity and achieve microgrid optimisation.

The problems associated with managing increasing levels of renewable energy in low voltage networks are widely acknowledged, but cost-effective mitigation of those risks is not widely understood. A great deal of work around the world aims to realise the benefits of managing DER in large grid systems such as the Southwest Interconnected System (WA) or the National Energy Market. The Carnarvon DER trials aim to experientially understand how to manage DER in a microgrid environment, how DER orchestration can be used to remediate power quality issues and how we can effectively exchange DER value with our customers.

EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF WEATHER CONDITIONS

Key to the management of microgrids with highpenetration DER is gaining an understanding of the impact of weather patterns on renewable energy generation and customer load, particularly cloud events which can traverse a regional town such as Carnarvon in under 20 seconds, and how that renewable energy generation variability impacts the way the power system is operating.

The project has engaged 82 residents and businesses with solar PV systems as participants in the data acquisition phase of the trials. Each participant was gifted a Solar Analytics solar smart monitor (Figure 2) to separately meter their solar PV system production and network load every five seconds. By separately metering, we have gained visibility of solar PV energy generated, behind-the-meter energy consumption and solar PV exported into the network at any given time during the day. In addition, we revealed the actual load which has been masked by solar PV for over a decade.

Data from each of the participants has been curated into a data lake, together with data from a weather station at our Carnarvon depot providing information on temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure and solar insolation, as well as ten-second sky camera images recording cloud movement over the town.

A balancing act: managing networks with high levels of Distributed Energy Resources

Power station SCADA and Advanced Meter Infrastructure (AMI or smart meter) data from sentinel points around the network has also been imported to build one of the most concise weather-related data sets we have. Particular attention has been applied to the timestamping of the incoming data streams to ensure a co-incident data set that can support complex analysis and machine learning models.

We have assembled a data set that builds a comprehensive picture of how changing weather affects renewable energy generation and customer load, and how this in turn influences distribution network and power station operation (Figure 3).

The database is capturing 130 million data points per day, and we have employed compressed column store and fractal compression of data to accelerate Virtual Power Plant (VPP) dispatch engine queries, facilitating real-time decision making for DER control, as well as machine learning models to develop detailed forecasts of renewable energy generation across the entire network.

A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT

The second phase of the trials, completed in March 2019, was the installation of new combined solar PV and battery systems at the houses of an additional ten participants. Six of the existing data participants also received a battery and inverter to augment their legacy PV systems, and the Solex commercial solar farm received an inverter upgrade to part of its array.

These seventeen participants received a ‘Reposit Box’ DER controller, allowing Horizon Power to monitor and control their DER systems through aggregation into a VPP established in the Reposit cloud platform.

We have concentrated the majority of the new DER and system upgrades onto a single feeder with an already moderately high penetration of solar PV. The solar PV production on the Gibson Street’s low-voltage feeder regularly exceeds the combined average load on the feeder at midday, exporting its excess energy into the wider Carnarvon medium-voltage network. By installing additional DER, we have created a high-penetration DER environment, a kind of laboratory environment, to test DER control techniques on a live network with real customers and variable weather.

Data Sources

RAW DATA

Data Lake

RAW DATA

A balancing act: managing networks with high levels of Distributed Energy Resources

Over the next 12 months, we are conducting a series of experiments using the customers’ DER systems to investigate the network impact of solar PV generation and behind-the-meter systems, confirming the viability of highpenetration DER in Horizon Power’s microgrid networks.

The team from Murdoch is using the collected data to develop statistical assessments of the impact of time of day and seasonal weather variation on solar PV generation at different levels of penetration into the microgrid, as well as DigSilent Power Factory simulations, evaluating the power system’s stability with cloud movements and complementary spinning reserve control strategies. The use of Feed-in Management (FiM) strategies for solar PV and the effective use of short-term solar forecasting to assist those control strategies is seen as the primary objective to meet Horizon Power’s immediate need for FiM solutions.

Murdoch is developing assessment tools to investigate and overcome the impacts of future increases in DER on Horizon Power networks, using a k-means clustering model that identifies archetype or representative low-voltage feeders for effective and efficient modelling of the low-voltage networks. The tools consider the location of DER in the power system and provide improved visibility of issues that arise when DER penetration increases. An evaluation of the impacts of the new features available in smart inverters and an assessment of forecasting tools using sky imaging are supporting the development of DER control methodologies, which Horizon Power can apply to its entire portfolio of microgrids.

The DER trials have given Horizon Power the chance to engage with leaders in DER control, VPP, forecasting and data analytics, building an ecosystem of partnerships in the pursuit of value co-creation and win-win outcomes (Figure 4). While there are contracts in place, the goal has been co-investment and interdependence. Continuous interaction, an agile approach to technology development and weekly

ABOUT HORIZON POWER

Horizon Power is the Western Australian Government’s regional and remote power provider. We are passionate about what we do, and strive to ensure our customers receive safe and reliable power to their homes, businesses and communities.

Our people and their families live in many of the regional and remote communities they service and support. Spanning some 2.3 million square kilometres, this makes us responsible for the largest geographical catchment of any Australian power provider.

phone catch-ups fuelled a social process of innovation that complements an economic method of innovation. What would once have been considered a single value chain is changing into open competency-based networks of similarly minded innovators, to the benefit of our industry.

Horizon Power’s commitment to knowledge sharing as part of the ARENA funding agreement includes making the research database available through the ARENA knowledge sharing program at the end of the trials in 2021. Murdoch University will be publishing a series of research reports from the DER trials, and Horizon Power will publish project learnings from a utility perspective through the ARENA portal.

Conference presentations, engineering workshops, and industry and academic working group participation are ongoing as we seek to share the lessons learned with industry and academia promptly.

At the time of writing, the data analysis has produced valuable insights into the impact of cloud events on network voltage and inverter operation. Visualisations of the data insights can be seen on the project web page:

horizonpower.com.au/our-community/projects/carnarvondistributed-energy-resources-der-trial/.

We operate 38 power systems delivering power to more than 110,000 homes, communities and businesses. This includes 32 microgrids tailored to meet the unique needs of some of the most isolated and remote communities in the world.

Horizon Power is making significant investments in developing its renewable energy capability and expertise. It currently has a number of initiatives underway exploring new and innovative ways of providing our customers with more sustainable, affordable power.

INDUSTRY AND COMMUNITY COLLABORATE ON AWARD-WINNING MINI-GRID PROJECT

The trifecta of tumbling costs, climate change and a yearning to reclaim power is drawing many people and communities globally to consider how they might embrace a true low-carbon, renewable energy future. Yackandandah, in north east Victoria, is one such place. Residents have set an ambitious and unambiguous target to transition to 100 per cent renewable energy by the year 2022.

On a cooling autumnal Yackandandah Sunday in March 2014, Indigo Shire Council opened its doors for a forum to consider how locals might play a role in unlocking the diverse potential of distributed energy resources (DER).

In the two hours that followed, an enthusiastic crowd learnt how they might decarbonise, decentralise, democratise and demonstrate the transformative power of renewable energy systems.

TOTALLY RENEWABLE YACKANDANDAH’S GOALS

Soon after, Totally Renewable Yackandandah (TRY) was formed. TRY immediately set to work, motivated by what other communities, businesses, entities and utilities have been doing in the face of mounting evidence on the rapidity of climate change.

In setting the goals of TRY, the committee was heavily influenced by Australia’s inaugural Community Energy Congress (CEC), held at Old Parliament House in Canberra in April 2014.

Stories of local people adopting place-based solutions to energy generation and usage were evident and a new energy narrative was emerging based on people, passion and values. TRY’s goals coalesced around a fireside sharing of soup and beer, just one week following the CEC.

TRY anticipates achieving the 100 per cent renewable energy target with a mini-grid; a series of microgrids across the town underpinned primarily by household solar generation, batteries and smart-energy orchestration. The group is also working on projects to both reduce demand and are installing community-scale generation and storage assets.

The people of Yackandandah were acknowledged for their hard work, when TRY received the 2017 Banksia Sustainability Award in the Sustainable and Resilient Community category – a fitting recognition of the courage and bravery shown by households across the creative town.

Fast forward to September 2019 and the town’s momentum is showing no sign of slowing – TRY recently

celebrated a series of solar installations on ten public buildings, which are also tied to the existing mini-grid using the Ubi, a smart energy controller developed by Mondo, experts in DER projects.

These installations integrate behind-the-meter batteries to manage differences in generation and demand, and add resilience. This most recent project, partially funded by the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, involved placing solar photovoltaics (PV) on public halls, the museum, the Country Fire Authority and even the local opportunity shop.

To broker trade amongst the mini-grid, TRY also initiated a community energy retailer, Indigo Power, to start trading tariffs before the year is out.

NETWORKS AND COMMUNITY

Yackandandah sits in the electricity distribution area owned by AusNet Services, which also own Victoria’s transmission network, along with the gas reticulation west of Melbourne.

In order to reach the 100 per cent renewable energy target, TRY recognised the network as both a key enabler and a potential inhibitor.

In its innocent beginnings, the group scheduled meetings with AusNet Services to toss up ideas around co-innovation between a electricity distribution and a local community. TRY wanted to disconnect from coal and maybe the grid. AusNet Services had assets worth billions, expertise and a significant number of Victorians that depended on the provision of safe, reliable and predictable power.

It is clear that network providers have both a challenge and an opportunity to affordably integrate renewables into a system originally based on one-way traffic and consistent demand.

TRY then approached Mondo, experts in DER, back in 2016, to answer the question – how can Yackandandah rapidly transition to clean power, strengthen the local economy, leverage existing assets and be honest about the climate threat?

SHARED VISION AND RECOGNITION

Mondo and TRY now share a renewable energy vision – to enable people to take ownership of their energy needs. The pursuit of this vision has seen the partnership develop the necessary hardware, software and, perhaps more importantly, a replicable community framework to enact the vision.

In July 2019, Mondo received the Clean Energy Council (CEC) award in community engagement for their partnership with TRY and the delivery of the Yackandandah mini-grid. The project caught national attention when, on 8 February 2019, the Yackandandah mini-grid achieved 1GWh of locally produced renewable energy. This equates to more than $160,000 in local energy cost savings and accounts to approximately 25 per cent of energy sourced from the sun.

At the same time, AusNet Services received a CEC award for innovation with an Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) funded microgrid trial alongside the University of Technology Sydney. This second Yackandandah microgrid sits on a constrained single wire earth return (SWER) line, and AusNet Services was able to use the contracted capability of Mondo’s Ubi to manage active and reactive power from inverters, and adopt orchestration of loads and some batteries.

The research delivered some compelling evidence regarding the capacity to dynamically manage voltage swings resulting from high penetrations of solar PV and spikes in demand. TRY brought to the trial ‘community and relational capital’, an asset more challenging for distribution network service providers.

With grants and donations, TRY now draws on the contract services of Mondo to undertake DER projects. With Victorian Government funding, TRY is currently building a third microgrid on another SWER line serving 33 residential properties. With the Ubi, Mondo will help deliver a project to orchestrate rooftop solar and battery systems, and efficient CO2 heat pump hot water services. This microgrid will further trial how to use smart energy control platforms to smooth out power demand and generation cycles in a way that saves locals money and averts costly asset upgrades – a win for people, asset owners and for clean energy.

CONCLUSION

TRY seeks to be an exemplar of effective, non-partisan cooperation between neighbours, business, government and utilities. The people of Yackandandah feel very fortunate to have made many advances toward their 100 per cent renewable energy target. However, much work awaits despite rooftop solar installation densities in Yackandandah exceeding 55 per cent and a growing list of awards and successful projects.

TRY strives to make power personal for Yackandandah people; to unpack the complexity of the system, to uncover the value of reliable clean power and to highlight the damage caused by legacy generation systems. In doing so, TRY signals a new, hopeful, courageous and mindful energy system. Will ‘Yack’ succeed? Who knows, but they do know that the best chance of success will be working beyond organisational boundaries with hope, courage and mindfulness. And a little bit of doggedness!

Matthew is a passionate advocate for sustainability, community and community energy. To drive this advocacy, he draws heavily on his teaching background in the secondary, tertiary and vocational spheres. These teaching skills are underwritten with qualifications in education, ecology, sustainability and energy efficiency.

With Totally Renewable Yackandandah and Mondo, Matthew is currently working on several microgrid projects, driving three solar and battery purchasing programs, completing a small virtual power plant installation, motivating a region-wide energy efficiency initiative (hot water replacement) and supporting the creation of a community-owned electricity sharing program, Indigo Power.

ENCOURAGING GRE

The Clean Energy Council’s latest survey, The Clean Energy Outlook , showed that confidence in renewable energy has fallen from the highs of previous years. It put the following question to three senior leaders working in the renewable energy industry: what do you think are the most important things needed in order to unlock the next wave of prosperity for the industry?

In the absence of a robust vision and energy policy, the next release of the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) Integrated System Plan (ISP) is highly anticipated. The plan will outline five possible scenarios, each based on a different set of policy drivers impacting the rate of the energy transition. The first ISP draft has been fundamental in identifying interconnectors, renewable energy zones and substation upgrades that are required to accommodate the transition to renewables.

To unlock the next wave of prosperity, our industry needs:

• Clarity on how Marginal Loss Factors (MLFs) are to be calculated, and greater transparency on the pipeline of development projects in the region to reduce the uncertainty and volatility of revenue generation to support future investment decisions

Australia has been a world leader up until now in the transition to a low carbon energy future. With recordbreaking investment of $24 billion in the past two years alone, Australia now generates 20 per cent of its power from renewable energy.

However, for Australia to continue to prosper and allow further growth in renewable energy – and bring wholesale electricity prices down – similar large-scale investment needs to be made to unlock a wave of new transmission projects. This will help to counter constraints on transmitting power to where it is needed most and introduce significant large-scale energy storage to exploit the benefits from the ‘duck curve’ (low/negative pricing events) – as well as balancing the demand for electricity with the production and dispatch of renewable energy.

Without unlocking critical electricity infrastructure projects or reimagining the network required for the future, investment in renewable energy projects and availability of power purchase agreements will be further impacted.

• Market reform with innovative and flexible market framework design suitable for the energy mix of the future, and which values firming capacity and ancillary services

• Consumers, shareholders, businesses and corporate entities continuing to demand clean energy and 'green' products

• ARENA and the CEFC continuing to support innovation and demonstration to advance relevant enabling technologies, tools and platforms required for the transition

• State governments and industry bodies, like the CEC, continuing their role to provide leadership on targets and advocacy for decarbonisation and clean energy

• A focus on opportunities to decarbonise other industries, such as transport, mining and natural gas, through renewable hydrogen, to drive the demand for increased renewable energy generation

• A focus on opportunities to demonstrate green hydrogen or green ammonia for export, to position Australia as an energy superpower while positively impacting the local economy and employment

I am entirely confident that if our talented and driven industry continues to come together to collaborate, we will help to solve some of the industry’s most complex challenges to unlock the next wave of prosperity.

ATER INVESTMENT IN RENEWABLE ENERGY

According to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), Australia has an impressive 45GW of proposed wind, solar and battery projects currently seeking connection to the national grid. These are projects that have met most of AEMO’s commitment criteria which considers land, major component commitments, environmental and regulatory approvals and a firm commercial use date. However, AEMO only connected around 3GW of large-scale wind and solar in 2018. The remarkable discrepancy between the MW volume of proposed projects vs. the actual volume connected is largely attributable to a few factors.

These include:

• Uncertainty in system strength requirements

• Negotiating power purchase agreements

• Foreign exchange movements impacting EPC pricing

The second and third points above are outside of AEMO and Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) jurisdiction, however the same cannot be said for item one. Although there are a number of projects commencing or under construction, it is clear that the number of new projects reaching financial close has slowed due to a variety of reasons such as:

• Additional costs procuring synchronous condensers to meet system strength remediation requirements associated with connections to weak parts of the grid where energy resources are often abundant

• Unworkable power purchase agreements that have been miss priced and unable to support increasing system strength costs

• Unrealistic timeframes imposed by offtakers

It should be noted that these system strength remediations are often prescribed by network operators at the tail end of connection negotiations, incurring additional costs and, for inexperienced developers, often resulting in long delays. All these issues have compounded, making some investors pause in their quest to better understand the risks associated with grid connections.

Australia requires urgent action to build new generation infrastructure to replace aging coal plants and to reduce its carbon emissions in line with the country’s Paris targets across all sectors of the economy. There is a resulting need for new investment triggers, incentives and price signal alert mechanisms for investors to relieve network constraints, as well as improving MLF ratings and system strength. This must be coupled with AEMO’s centralised network upgrade plans in order to create a network that fosters a thriving renewable energy sector.

Relieving network constraints in the immediate term remains a hurdle. One of the challenges is that wind and solar farms can be built and commissioned in 12-24 month timeframes, whereas the transmission infrastructure needed to rectify network constraints can take three to five times as long. Notwithstanding all this, there is optimism within the industry, the business sector and some areas of government that overcoming these challenges will recast the potential of the renewable sector for the coming years.

KAREN

Australia has a flourishing renewable energy industry. Wind, solar PV and (to an extent) storage technologies are proven, available and costcompetitive. Home-grown expertise has been developed, and an influx of expats have moved home to Australia’s sunny shores, bringing their renewables expertise from Europe. Investment and build-out have been at record levels.

Much of this build-out has been spurred by the revised Renewable Energy Target (RET) which was passed by Federal Parliament in 2015 with bipartisan support. The RET has already been met, and the industry’s thoughts are naturally turning to what comes next.

The three key requirements to unlock the next wave of renewables investment are:

1. Sensible long-term federal policy

2. A more reliable and secure transmission network

3. Greater certainty over marginal loss factors (MLFs)

Infrastructure investors typically seek predictable, longterm returns. This requires reasonable certainty over what price will be obtained for every MWh that is generated.

Sensible long-term government policy plays a critical role in encouraging offtakers to write long-term fixed-price power purchase agreements (PPAs) to underpin investment. Solar and wind projects tend to have an assumed asset life of at least 25 years which is well beyond most PPA terms, meaning that all projects have a degree of merchant risk. Stable long-term government policy also facilitates more accurate forecasting of merchant power prices.

The Federal Government needs to fill the energy and climate change policy vacuum. This should help unlock further investment and jobs in Australia’s renewable energy industry and put downward pressure on electricity prices. The exact mechanism – such as a carbon price, an expanded RET or a National Energy Guarantee – is less important than the existence of a long-term policy.

Grid stability and connection issues are posing an increasing risk for developers and investors. Delays in network access and uncertain regulatory requirements are difficult to navigate. A planned transformation is needed to support the efficient development, connection and operation of renewable energy projects. AEMO’s 2019-20 Integrated System Plan will hopefully provide clarity on how this will be delivered.

Finally, recent year-on-year variations in MLFs have materially reduced existing asset values and resulted in revenue that is highly unpredictable. This uncertainty means that investors will require an additional risk premium to be applied to any new investments. This is expected to increase the cost of capital associated with future projects, which may increase electricity prices. Immediate changes to the current MLF framework are required, such as through the adoption of an average loss factor approach. It is reassuring to see the industry working collaboratively with regulators to resolve these sorts of issues.

In support of its commitment to the Women in Renewables Leaders' Pledge, the Clean Energy Council has compiled the industry's first Speakers Guide to promote gender diverse panels.

The guide is designed to showcase the breadth, expertise and knowledge offered by women in the sector, and address the lack of female representation on panels and in speaking positions.

All three of the women featured in this article can be found in the Women in Renewables Speakers Guide.

POWERING FUTURE GROWTH IN THE ACT WITH A NEW SUBSTATION

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government is securing the region’s future electricity supply with a new substation in Canberra’s north-west. The project, developed by the ACT Government and TransGrid, will be delivered by Zinfra. The innovative design of the facility takes into account its proximity to nearby community sites and protected natural areas. Zinfra has drawn on its client and stakeholder management expertise to prepare the community for this project. TransGrid, Zinfra and its network of subcontractors will work together to complete the project safely.

ACT SECOND SUPPLY PROJECT – 330/132KV STOCKDILL DRIVE SUBSTATION

TransGrid has been working closely with the ACT government to secure a second electricity supply for the region. The projected growth of Canberra and the surrounding area has led to the development of this project to ensure a safe and reliable supply of electricity for the capital in the future. Approval has been granted to proceed with the construction of a new 330/132kV substation and its associated line works.

Zinfra, one of Australia’s leading service providers to the utility infrastructure sectors, is charged with the construction and commissioning of the substation and associated works.

Zinfra has been engaged by TransGrid to undertake the construction of the 330/132kV substation and 6km of 330kV transmission line. The project also includes the decommissioning of two 330kV transformers and associated switchgear at the existing Canberra 330/132kV Substation.

Zinfra has extensive experience working on complex construction projects and maintenance service contracts, each with its own set of unique requirements.

THE SITE AND COMMUNITY

The site of the new substation was selected following an extensive community consultation process. Feedback from the community was a key factor in the compilation of the project’s Environmental Impact Statement and ensuing development application process.

TransGrid determined that the infrastructure for a second power supply should be located at a reasonable distance from the existing Canberra Substation, to ensure a “catastrophic event” could not disable both sites. This means the electricity supply to the ACT would be secured in the event of one substation being out of service.

Zinfra’s General Manager for Projects and Construction, Paul Birighitti, says projects in urban areas require

extensive and ongoing stakeholder relationship management.

“When large infrastructure projects are in close proximity to community environments, a strong commitment to stakeholder management is required to ensure a smooth delivery process,” Mr Birighitti said.

“With many years of experience in the delivery of brownfield upgrades in and around major cities, Zinfra’s stakeholder management processes are important to how we successfully deliver big projects.”

A number of factors influenced the decision to proceed with the Stockdill Drive Substation site location. The site meets a range of criteria, including:

• Security of supply from the network

• Minimal potential impact on nearby urban developments

• Environmental and heritage values

• Cost of infrastructure construction

• Land use planning, amenity and co-location

• Optimal technical design factors

Prior to works commencing in May 2019, TransGrid and Zinfra were invited by Thunderstone Aboriginal Cultural and Land Management Services to participate in a Welcome to Country and Cleansing Ceremony by Ngunawal Traditional Custodian Tyronne Bell.

“This was an important ceremony for the local community as it provided an opportunity for the project team to acknowledge and recognise Aboriginal culture and history. It allowed everyone, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, to pay their respects to the Traditional Custodians of Ngunawal land,” Mr Birighitti said.

The Stockdill Drive location also presented some unique environmental issues due to its proximity to Woodstock Nature Reserve to the west, the Lower Molonglo Nature Reserve to the south and a local golf course.

“It is an environmentally sensitive area, which contains some protected lizard species,” Mr Birighitti said.

The project’s accelerated delivery schedule aims to meet requirements to minimise high-voltage power disruption to the ACT. To manage this narrow delivery timeframe, Zinfra is managing multiple sections of work at the same time. This includes the substation’s civil works, transmission tower foundation works near the local golf course and the erection of new transmission tower structures

between the existing Canberra Substation site and the Stockdill Drive Substation site.

These works are being undertaken concurrently to ensure there is minimum disruption to local residents and businesses, particularly the golf course which is a key community stakeholder.

INNOVATION

TransGrid is transitioning towards digital substations, and the Stockdill Drive Substation has been designed to utilise IEC61850 technology.

IEC61850 digitises control and protection signals with the use of outdoor merging units into the Secondary Systems Building. The benefit of using this design protocol is that it reduces auxiliary power load and cables, resulting in significant savings on civil works.

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP

Zinfra has a long-standing relationship with TransGrid, and a history of successful collaboration to meet critical milestones.

Zinfra runs workshops at the beginning of large-scale projects to solidify safety procedures with workers. Senior Zinfra personnel also visit work sites each month to gain first-hand insight into the challenges project staff face. This guides management to support the safety

of workers and help them deliver the project efficiently.

“It’s really about creating a positive safety culture through getting to know your people, your subcontractors and your clients. Getting management involved in understanding the challenges on a project helps ensure a smooth delivery process,” Mr Birighitti said.

As part of its commitment to engaging expert subcontractors, Zinfra runs Partner Delivery Forums each year.

“We take great pride in bringing our subcontractors along to those forums to talk about not just safety, but to have an open conversation and provide feedback on how we can improve what we’re currently doing together,” Mr Birighitti said.

Mr Birighitti said investing in partnerships with subcontractors was crucial, particularly when the number of infrastructure construction opportunities outstripped the supply of resources in the industry.

“TransGrid’s commitment to safety influences how we engage with our subcontractors. The way we approach planning with TransGrid helps us put our best people onto some of these more complex projects to ensure the successful realisation of their designs.”

For more information, visit www. zinfra.com.au.

Bright lights, big city: KEEPING MELBOURNE SWITCHED ON

CitiPower is nearing completion of one of the most complex electrical engineering projects the Melbourne CBD has ever seen, upgrading the city’s electricity network as part of a major $250 million project that includes rebuilding the Waratah Place Zone Substation.

First conceived in March 2008, the Melbourne CBD Security of Supply project was established as a result of an amendment to the Electricity Distribution Code. The Essential Services Commission included a new clause, which mandated CitiPower reinforce the security of supply to the Melbourne CBD to a high level of reliability.

The aim of the project is to ensure that the network has a ‘double backup’ to provide continuous electricity supply if unexpected events occur on major supply lines, such as extreme weather, fires, traffic accidents or infrastructure failures.

The rebuilt Waratah Place Zone Substation is at the centre of the Security of Supply project, which – once fully complete – will allow power to be diverted around the grid so the duration of a major power outage is limited to no more than 30 minutes.

“Our network also supports over 50,000 business generating 25 per cent of the state’s GDP, as well as iconic major cultural and sporting facilities like the MCG,” Marcus Olive, Head of Major Projects at CitiPower, said.

“CitiPower is already Australia’s most reliable electricity distribution network, so it’s not necessarily the risk of outages we’re preparing for; it’s the duration.

“Just this year there was a major electricity outage in New York lasting many hours which had a huge impact on the city. We’re doing what we can to prevent something similar from happening here.”

The Australian Energy Regulator rates CitiPower’s reliability at more than 99.99 per cent. This equates to customers being without power for an average of only 20 of the 525,000 minutes in a year.

PROTECTING THE CITY’S HERITAGE

With the project currently in its final stages and due for completion in 2020, connecting the recently rebuilt Waratah Place Zone Substation to the Melbourne CBD grid is one of the last remaining hurdles.

The substation is in the heart of Melbourne’s Chinatown, surrounded by some of the precinct’s oldest buildings and finest restaurants.

Deep excavations in narrow laneways close to heritagelisted buildings, as well as beneath Little Bourke Street’s Chinese monument, have required extensive engineering to minimise the risk to these structures, which were built on shallow foundations.

Bright lights, big city: keeping Melbourne switched on

Leading structural and civil engineers were involved to advise on the potential impact of underground works and the piling required to ensure that the structural integrity of neighbouring buildings were not affected.

“While the concept of the project sounds simple, complex engineering is required for this delicate and challenging project, which also illustrates best practice in heritage management,” Mr Olive said.

“To connect the zone substation to the surrounding area involves the excavation of a four-metre-deep trench in one of the CBD’s narrow laneways, and replacing and connecting 10.5km of cables that wind throughout the city.”

This complex work involves digging through heritage overlays, around archaeological finds and working with gas, water and sewerage utilities to relocate services. The vast network of underground utilities was laid many decades ago and services are often not always found where they are shown on maps, creating great logistical challenges.

It’s also important to note that while ensuring reliability was crucial, the Waratah Place Zone Substation has also been designed to help reinvigorate the heritage of the vibrant laneway culture around Chinatown.

That’s why the new Waratah Place Zone Substation retains the character of the original building down to the circular portal windows on the northern wall, while innovative light displays on the façade are destined to become a feature of the Chinatown landscape.

MANAGING MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS

The Melbourne CBD Security of Supply project has also involved upgrades to the Brunswick Terminal Station, Bouverie–Queen Zone Substation and Victoria Market Zone Substation.

“It’s been a journey to get to this point, with upgrades to the Brunswick Terminal Station, Bouverie – Queen Zone Substation and Victoria Market Zone Substation completed over 24 months,” Mr Olive said.

“This involved installing new 66kV gas insulated switchgear at the substations, transporting a transformer from one zone substation to another and completing major structural work at Bouverie – Queen Zone Substation.”

Given the central locations of all four substations, liaison with other stakeholders – council, the Chinatown Precinct Association, environmental and heritage experts – was crucial at all stages of the works. This has also included a

comprehensive communications campaign to keep those in the area and visitors to Chinatown well informed.

Installing 21km of new electricity cables, which travelled over 7km from the Brunswick Terminal Station to Carlton, took two years. Working in parallel to other projects, the installation meant as many as 30 open trenches were created a day.

“This was a critical stage to ensure an additional transmission connection point was provided to the CBD providing additional security of supply along with additional capacity to supply the fast-growing northern part of Melbourne’s CBD,” Mr Olive said.

MINIMISING IMPACT

Melbourne is an incredibly vibrant and rapidly growing city. Every day, almost one million residents, workers and tourists depend on the continuity of electricity supply to enjoy everything the CBD has to offer.

Currently, the CBD’s power supply can withstand one major fault on the 66kv network. The Security of Supply project has been designed to ensure the city can withstand two major outages, with minimal impact to customers.

“The project’s benefit is not just in preventing outages but also minimising the impact from their short duration,” Mr Olive said.

“The project ensures that if unexpected events occur, such as extreme weather, fires, traffic accidents or infrastructure failures, the network has a ‘double backup’ to withstand multiple outages on the 66kv network and still provide continuous supply to CBD customers.

“It can deliver an alternative power as far as North Melbourne, the Richmond Sporting Precinct, south to the Yarra River and all of Melbourne’s CBD.”

The Waratah Zone Substation introduces this ‘double back-up’ system that can effectively withstand two outages in the 66kV system.

Once the project is complete, the zone substation will create greater flexibility, allowing power supplies to be diverted or rearranged, to withstand a second major outage in 30 minutes or less.

This means that the duration of a major power outage is limited to no more than 30 minutes if two faults occur at the same time.

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MOTOR STARTING FOR OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE

It is often believed that the start current of a motor under full voltage conditions depends on the driven load, but this is incorrect.

The start current of the motor depends on the motor design, rotor speed and stator voltage from zero speed until full speed is reached. The load only influences the time taken for the motor to reach full speed. The current/speed curve of the motor is independent of all external influences, other than stator voltage.

FULL VOLTAGE STARTING: DOL STARTERS

The DOL starter causes a current transition from zero to locked rotor current (LRC) at the instant of contactor closure. It also causes a torque transient from zero to locked rotor torque (LRT) at the instant of contactor closure, resulting in a severe mechanical shock to the motor drive system and the machine.

REDUCED VOLTAGE STARTERS

The following four starter types are examples of reduced voltage starting which is used extensively and, in many areas, is mandatory. However, many installations would suffer fewer disturbances if a full voltage starter replaced a poorly applied reduced voltage starting system. The reduced

voltage starter must be able to accelerate the motor to almost full speed before stepping to full voltage, or it risks a current step that can be very close to LRC. Therefore, start time and start voltage must be correctly set.

1. PRIMARY RESISTANCE STARTERS

Using resistors, connected in series with each phase, between the isolation contactor and the motor, limits the start current and torque. If the resistors are too high for the start voltage, there will be insufficient torque to accelerate the motor to full speed. In this case, the step to full voltage will result in a high current and high torque step. Several stages of resistance can be used to control the current and torque more accurately, minimising the magnitude of the current and torque steps.

2. AUTOTRANSFORMER STARTERS

An autotransformer reduces the voltage during the start period. If the start voltage is too low, or the start time incorrectly set, the transition to full voltage will occur with the motor at less than full speed, resulting in a high current and high torque step. Autotransformer starters are usually rated for infrequent starting duties.

3. STAR-DELTA STARTERS

The star-delta starter is the most common reduced voltage starter used in industry because of its low cost. The motor is initially connected in star configuration and then, after a pre-set time, the motor is disconnected from the supply and reconnected in delta configuration. If there is insufficient torque available in star configuration to accelerate the load to full speed, a high starting torque motor such as a double cage motor should be used. If the motor does not reach full speed in star, the transition from star to delta configuration will result in a high current and high torque step, defeating the purpose of reduced voltage starting.

4. SOLID-STATE SOFT STARTERS

The solid-state soft starter controls the voltage applied to the motor through impedance in series with each phase connected to the motor. It uses solid-state AC switches with a very low power dissipation compared to traditional primary resistors, and is controllable to give a motor voltage from zero to full line voltage without any steps or transients. It is possible to correctly apply and engineer electromechanical reduced voltage starters so the torque and current magnitudes and transients are reduced to acceptable levels. Reduced voltage starting reduces the electrical interference caused by motor starting and reduces mechanical damage caused by torque transients and steps. To achieve these objectives, the motor and starter must be correctly selected and commissioned for optimum performance.

• Automated pump clean function • Extended motor protection functionality

• Clock & calendar scheduling

FLEXIBLE SOLUTIONS IN A DYNAMIC INDUSTRY

The Australian utility sector is more dynamic than ever, presenting utilities with ongoing challenges. Altec Australia – manufacturer of insulated EWPs and crane borers – is here to assist with our rental and leasing solutions.

The AER has recently announced two measures aimed at cost saving. The first is a reduction in the regulated rate of return, making it more difficult to justify purchasing an expensive piece of specialty equipment. The second requires utilities to maximise the longevity of equipment by encouraging rebuilds. This measure can be costly and difficult to justify for a certification of just five years.

Altec’s rental and leasing options has proved to be a great alternative to clients. We’ve taken further steps to increase peace of mind and provide cost effective solutions with the introduction of new products and features in the Altec rental fleet.

Altec has developed a first for the Australian market with the introduction of a platform load management and material handling solution, standard on the TA55. Utilities greatly reduce the risk of overloading and provide enhanced safety for personnel. We are pleased to introduce a new Altec unit to market – the AT37P. This is a versatile unit suitable for street lighting, power lines and vegetation management work, with the feature of a two-man bucket. Our rental fleet includes EWPs ranging from ten to 26m and crane borers. For more information, visit www.altecaus.com.au

Free engineer with every power system.

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To learn more about installing a DC power system or upgrading your current assets, visit our website.

For enquiries call 1300 364 877 www.intelepower.com.au/campaigns/free-engineer

SURVIVING A CRISIS:

This was the challenge facing Energy Queensland after the devastating Townsville floods in February, and they share their insights into surviving and thriving after this event here.

The community of Townsville is still picking up the pieces after one of its worst natural disasters in living memory.

In February, North Queensland’s largest city was suffering from the effects of drought when an unprecedented monsoon event dumped a year’s worth of rain in just over a week.

While floods are part and parcel of a normal wet season in North Queensland, the relentless deluge took the community by surprise and tested the mettle of Energy Queensland’s Ergon Energy and Energex emergency response teams.

The Ross River snakes through the city and many denselypopulated suburbs were in the firing line when it broke its banks, peaking at 42.99m, while the dam reached 244.8 per cent and the flow of water was 2000m3/second.

More than 3,300 homes and businesses were inundated during the record flood, along with critical infrastructure,

including the power network operated by Ergon Energy.

At the peak of the one in 500-year event, more than 17,000 customers were without power, many of them de-energised for public safety reasons.

SAFETY COMES FIRST

Energy Queensland’s Executive General Manager for Distribution, Paul Jordon, said community safety was at the heart of the response.

“Once we knew the city was facing the worst case scenario, we did everything in our power to protect the community, reduce the risk of damage to the electricity network that supports them and keep customers informed of impending outages.

“This involved invoking/enacting our flood plans, including pre-emptive de-energisation, dismantling and removing vital equipment such as switchgear and SCADA systems from substations in the firing line, and sandbagging equipment that couldn’t be readily shifted to higher ground.

“In a rapidly-evolving disaster, keeping an eye on the

GETTING THROUGH WHEN THE WORST CASE SCENARIO HITS

All energy utilities have a plan in place for when any range of natural disasters hit, but what do you do when you’re facing a one-in-500 year event of unprecedented magnitude?

weather, working closely with emergency services and communicating with customers was critical.

“Through direct contact, traditional media and social media, we urged people in the flood zone to be prepared for protracted power interruptions and enact their household emergency plans, especially our life support customers.

“The frequent delivery of electrical safety messages to the community was also vital,” Mr Jordon said.

A UNIQUE EVENT NEEDS A UNIQUE APPROACH

While the Ergon team is well-versed in disaster response, this highly unpredictable and protracted flood event required a different approach.

“When a storm or cyclone hits a region, our crews have a clear understanding of what type of damage to expect, and once the weather front moves on you can generally move troops in immediately to commence restoration,” Mr Jordon said.

“Floods are incredibly frustrating compared to a cyclone or super-cell storm, because the damage occurs slowly and you know that every litre of water entering each padmount, pillar

box, substation and meter box is bringing with it debris, soil and silt.

“With around 50 per cent of Townsville’s flood-affected areas being supplied by an underground network, you know every piece of equipment will have to be methodically opened, cleaned, tested and repaired and dried before we can safely re-energise. You know the task ahead will be painstaking, and massive.”

BRING IN THE TROOPS

With that in mind, Ergon mobilised troops from across the state, including reinforcements from South East Queenslandbased sister company Energex, to support local crews in what would be an around-the-clock restoration effort.

Mr Jordon said bringing in additional crews to a disaster area is not about throwing as many people at the problem as possible. Given the nature of the event, it was important to consider the best skillsets required and actually getting resources into the area as soon as possible before access was completely cut.

Surviving a crisis: getting through when the worst case scenario hits

“From a social perspective, you have to be aware that every person responding to a natural disaster, while undoubtedly carrying out an important task, must also have as minimal impact as possible on the limited resources, such as accommodation and food," Mr Jordon explained.

“From an operational perspective, you have to have an extremely good understanding of what damage crews are likely to find, and only deploy staff with the specialised skills required to get the power back on. For example, knowing we were facing significant damage to the underground network, we needed to move additional staff with these skills into the region.

“At the same time, we were providing support to local team members who had been personally affected by the disaster, which obviously had a devastating impact on the community.”

While restoration crews were keen to get out and help get the community back on its feet, they were faced with a frustrating wait for floodwaters to recede.

“The problem with flooding on this scale is it takes time to subside and much of the damage is hidden under the water’s surface," Mr Jordon said.

“It’s frustrating for crews who are ready to respond, but cannot begin inspecting the network until floodwaters recede and in this case it was days before the true extent of the damage was revealed.”

THE VIEW FROM ABOVE

In the meantime, aerial inspections gave crews some insight into the challenges ahead. The Australian Army provided Ergon chopper flights, enabling crews to scope damage in areas that remained cut off because of floodwaters, debris and structural damage to a bridge.

Drones, which have become a vital weapon in Ergon Energy’s arsenal, were widely used to find faults amongst the devastation.

Mostly, fault-finding meant a hard slog on foot for crews in hot, humid and muddy conditions.

Mr Jordon said that once Ergon had a clearer picture of damage to the network, it was time to devise a meticulous restoration plan for the community.

“Planning is everything when it comes to natural disasters and there’s only so much you can do until you know the full extent of the damage.

“We had a good idea what to expect, but we needed the waters to fully subside to know exactly what would be required in terms of staffing, spares and equipment to enable us to devise an accurate restoration plan timeline,” he said.

WORKING TOWARDS A GOAL

Ergon set an ambitious restoration target: to have every property that was safe to re-energise back on the grid ten days after the peak of the flooding.

Surviving a crisis: getting through when the worst case scenario hits

“The plan also included a street-by-street restoration timeline, which we released to the public via our website, social media and traditional media, and delivered to the Local Disaster Management Group," Mr Jordon said.

“This detailed public plan gave everyone an idea of when power would be restored to their properties and allowed them to plan their lives around it. Ultimately, it gave the community a form of certainty in a very difficult time.”

The restoration plan also gave crews a goal and it wasn’t long before they were aiming to exceed the community’s expectations.

“Within hours of us going public with the document our crews said they wanted to achieve the goal a day earlier," Mr Jordon said.

“Although we’d said we’d have power available to everyone by the Tuesday evening, crews had it restored on Monday afternoon.

“Their drive was nothing short of incredible and we could not have been any prouder of their efforts."

Above all else, the meticulous planning, resourcing and restoration planning, combined with outstanding commitment from staff, saw this result achieved without a single recordable injury.

“They were inspired by the support of members of the community, who often greeted our crews with cold drinks and snacks as they worked in temperatures tipping 40 degrees with stifling humidity and often ankle-deep in mud,” Mr Jordon said.

In challenging conditions, Ergon and Energex crews ticked off an impressive to-do list:

• Restored power to 17,000 customers

• Assessed, cleaned and repaired all the city’s inundated substations

• Assessed, cleaned and/or repaired nearly 1,700 pillar boxes

• Assessed, cleaned and repaired around 180 padmount transformers and high voltage switchgear

• Replaced two damaged padmount transformers

• Pumped, cleaned and dried dozens of pits

• Replaced two switching stations

• Replaced four poles

It was a massive undertaking by crews, which went a long way to helping restore a sense of normality to a community in crisis.

From every disaster response, there are valuable lessons, and Paul Jordon observed a few keys at the heart of the success of the Townsville flood response. He said it was imperative to empower crews with ownership of the disaster response by ensuring they were safe, well-resourced, had clear work plans each morning and were kept informed of the holistic restoration process.

“Keeping the community and key stakeholders informed throughout the event also went a long way to quelling any angst about the power situation.

“Getting the restoration plan out early also gave customers the information they needed to get on with life, while at the same time rallying our crews with a goal.

“At the end of the day, we all want the same thing – the safe and timely restoration of power.”

TIN EMERGENCY RESPONSES THE VALUE OF EXPERIENCE

You can’t plan for the unexpected but, when disaster strikes, having well-established contacts; the ability to mobilise necessary personnel, tools and materials; extensive in-house experience; and a dedicated team provides the best chance of achieving positive outcomes.

he magnitude 6.2 earthquake that shook Christchurch, New Zealand, in February 2011 caused mass devastation and claimed 185 lives. The official clean-up and repair phase lasted until 2016, but work continues to renew and rebuild the city’s infrastructure.

Interflow – Australasia’s largest pipeline renewal company – was one of the first contractors on site to help restore wastewater and sewage services and repair the damaged pipelines.

ALL HANDS ON DECK

Many of the crew who worked on the repairs were Christchurch locals and were personally affected by the earthquake. But, according to Blair Telfer, Interflow General Manager – New Zealand, they rallied to assist with the repair operation.

“Everyone was keen to work as much as possible to aid in the overall recovery works to get the city back up and running as quickly as we could,” Mr Telfer said.

However, local crews did not operate in isolation. Mr Telfer said that, as a large company, Interflow was able to draw on the expertise of staff from across the company.

“As Australasia’s largest pipeline renewal company we could call on not only additional personnel resources from Australia but also the full technical support of our experts in Australia,” Mr Telfer said.

“There were a number of differing projects that were outside of the norm that required bespoke design.

“By having a team of experienced specialists and engineers in Australia supporting our New Zealand crews, we were able to brainstorm and come up with innovative ideas and then prove that they would be robust and meet design and specification requirements.”

Throughout the five-year repair period, Interflow brought 16 of its Australian-based staff to Christchurch, and appointed 20 new staff to join the existing 22 Christchurchbased personnel.

“The quantum of work to be completed in the short time meant that additional staff had to be employed,” Mr Telfer said.

“As trenchless techniques are quite unique and specialised by their very nature, there are few trained persons. Training had to happen on the job.

“Fortunately, Interflow had a team of dedicated technical trainers who provided on-the-job training and certification, which sped up productivity and ensured that high quality standards were maintained.”

DRAWING ON ESTABLISHED NETWORKS

In some emergency situations, acquiring necessary tools and materials can also be challenging.

In November 2018, a failure in the City of Gold Coast’s Eastern Force Main – one of two large rising mains that takes sewage from about 200,000 people from the north of the city to the Coombabah Sewage Treatment Plant – was detected.

The sewer was immediately diverted as a temporary measure, but wet weather would overload the system; a long-term solution was required as quickly as possible.

Primus Liner was selected for the job, however as the material is manufactured in Germany it would have taken at least two weeks to arrive, if the stock was available at all. The worst-case scenario was that it would need to be manufactured from scratch and then transported by sea, which could have taken up to three months.

However, according to Will Zillmann, Interflow Manager – Emerging Markets, Interflow’s industry connections and contacts meant that the necessary tools and materials were procured quickly.

“The Interflow employee who was contacted by the City of Gold Coast knew that Sydney Water had some additional stock of Primus Line that they weren’t using, which was the right size, the right length and the right class of liner for the job,” Mr Zillmann said.

“We also knew that Queensland Urban Utilities owned the tools that were required. So, we contacted Sydney Water and Queensland Urban Utilities, who were only too pleased to help in this emergency situation.

“These industry connections and relationships were key to getting the materials and tools we needed to complete this job, which saved on freight costs and meant Interflow could begin renewing the pipes within days of the fault being detected.”

The successful outcome of this project was recognised recently when it won the 'Rehabilitation Project of the Year' category of the Australasian Society for Trenchless Technology Awards.

response

www.interflow.com.au

mail@interflow.com.au

www.interflow.com.au

mail@interflow.com.au

ARE YOU READ SUMMER DISA

The 2019–20 disaster season is already upon us, with bushfires and other extreme weather events impacting the way utilities and other critical infrastructure owners manage their assets. The good news is that it’s not too late to bring yourself up-to-date with the latest ideas and thinking when it comes to helping your organisation prepare for, survive and thrive in the face of disaster before the season fully takes hold. Disaster Management 2019 , taking place in Melbourne from November 21-22, provides the perfect forum to ensure your organisation is well-prepared.

Disaster can take many shapes or forms. It could be a natural disaster, such as bushfire, flood, drought, or extreme heat. Or it could take the form of a terrorist attack, whether that be on your physical assets, or a cyber terrorism attack on your systems. Or it could be something more obscure, like the threat of an industrial accident, an economic crisis, a resource crisis, or even a disease outbreak. It could happen six months from now, it could happen five years from now, or it could happen tomorrow.

Whenever it happens, or whatever form it takes, if you’re involved in the worlds of infrastructure, utilities or local government, you need to be thinking about how your organisation will prepare for, survive and then thrive in the face of disaster.

And the best place to make sure you’re up-to-date with the latest industry thinking when it comes to surviving crisis situations is at Disaster Management 2019

Brought to you by Infrastructure, Utility and Energy magazines, Disaster Management 2019 will help your organisation ensure it is prepared for the range of disaster events that can strike critical asset owners at any time.

A WORLD-CLASS SPEAKER LINE-UP

At Disaster Management 2019, you’ll hear from a who’s who from the fields of disaster and emergency management and organisational resilience. Some of our speakers include:

Toby Kent, Chief Resilience Officer at the City of Melbourne, is Australia’s first Chief Resilience Officer, and he has also recently been appointed to lead the Future Business Council. He will be delivering our

keynote presentation The rise of the Chief Resilience Officer: what we do and why your organisation needs us.

Professor Greg Foliente, Deputy Director of the Centre for Disaster Management and Public Safety, is an expert consultant, working across a range of departments and agencies on disaster resilience planning. He will also be delivering a keynote presentation on the five key priority areas for enhancing disaster management practice and policy.

Carola Washbourne, Education Development and Delivery Manager, National Centre for Emergency Studies, has over 19 years’ full-time operational experience across all aspects of the emergency prevention, preparedness, response and recovery (PPRR) spectrum, and is well respected nationally in the field of emergency and disaster management; particularly for her leadership during Tropical Cyclones Yasi and Larry. Carola’s presentation will explain the benefits to infrastructure stakeholders in obtaining a better understanding of their state or territory’s emergency management arrangements, and preparing their staff to undertake incident management.

Brett Aimers, Business Resilience Specialist at VicTrack, has held a number of roles relating to disaster management and emergency response in the rail sector throughout his career. He will be sharing his expertise when it comes to contemporary planning today for a resilient tomorrow.

Dr Erin Smith, Senior Lecturer in Disaster and Emergency Response at Edith Cowan University, has an accomplished career teaching and researching within the multidisciplinary fields of disaster and emergency

Y FOR THE STER SEASON?

Toby Kent

Chief Resilience Officer, City of Melbourne

Brett Aimers

Business Resilience Specialist, VicTrack

Professor Greg Foliente

Deputy Director, Centre for Disaster Management and Public Safety

Dr Erin Smith

Senior Lecturer in Disaster and Emergency Response, Edith Cowan University

Carola Washbourne

Education Development and Delivery Manager, National Centre for Emergency Studies

Paul Jordon

Executive General Manager Distribution, Energy Queensland

Are you ready for the summer disaster season?

response. At our conference, her presentation will explore the post-event response to disasters and provide insight into supporting staff through crisis events.

Paul Jordon, Executive General Manager –Distribution at Energy Queensland, is responsible for the safe and efficient operation and maintenance of the electricity distribution network throughout Queensland. Paul has a high level of expertise in disaster preparedness and response, and is passionate about ensuring the safety of employees and the community. He will be detailing his organisation’s experiences of surviving and thriving after the 2019 Townsville Floods.

Dr Simon Dunstall, Research Director, Decision Sciences Program, Data61 will provide insights into how we can be better prepared for bushfire events where electrical infrastructure is involved. Simon will draw upon his research, which indicates that while powerline-initiated bushfires are more likely to be large and lead to fatalities, there are mitigations that exist that can reduce the likelihood and number of fire events that occur every year. He will then outline the effect of these mitigations, presenting data on how much risk is eliminated, and give suggestions on how to prioritise investment in mitigation.

Sharna Whitehand, Municipal Emergency Management Officer, Corangamite Shire Council will share her insights into drawing on the strengths of the community when working through the aftermath of disaster events. Following the South West Fires of March 2018, Corangamite Shire has worked through a community-led case management recovery process to bring out community strengths and provide linkages to support services. Sharna will share the key learnings her team has taken from this disaster event as they worked through the before, during and after framework for disaster recovery.

Sharna

Management Officer, Corangamite Shire

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM DISASTER MANAGEMENT 2019 ?

Over two days, our speakers will explore the key steps utilities, infrastructure owners and local governments can undertake to prepare for, survive and thrive in the face of disaster events. Through keynote presentations, panel sessions and regular presentations we will:

• Explore the breadth of disaster events that could strike the infrastructure and local government sectors

• Help you prepare for the potential impacts these crises could have on your organisation

• Delve into the disaster response process, and highlight the critical steps you need to take to effectively manage a disaster event

• Show you how to develop strategies to enhance the organisational resilience of your business

• Teach you how to emerge from a disaster as a stronger organisation than before Delegates will also enjoy multiple speed networking sessions where they are guaranteed introductions to colleagues within the industry, as well as a number of informal networking opportunities at the lunch, morning and afternoon tea breaks, and a drinks reception at the close of the first day of the conference.

Are you ready for the summer disaster season?

21–22 NOVEMBER,

To make this event more accessible for utilities and their employees, we’re pleased to offer tickets at the heavily reduced price of $590 (plus GST). To purchase tickets at this exclusive rate, head to disaster-management.com.au/buy-tickets/ and add an "Asset Owner Ticket" to the cart and apply the code "DM19limited25" on checkout.

SPECIAL TICKET PRICE FOR UTILITY EMPLOYEES

If you work in the area of critical services, such as utilities or infrastructure, and you’ve ever asked yourself, “Is our organisation really prepared to deal with the effects of a disaster event?”, then you need to attend this event.

The fact of the matter is, in the world of critical infrastructure, you might not be able to stop the worst from happening, but you can reduce the impact of a crisis by being prepared and ready to act.

This code can also be used in conjunction with our regular “Buy three tickets, pay for two” offer, meaning you can bring colleagues to the event at a heavily discounted rate.

INTERESTED IN SPONSORING OR EXHIBITING?

Disaster Management

For more information about Disaster Management 2019, head to disaster-management.com.au

2019 Disaster Management 2019 Disaster Management 2019

A limited number of exhibition spaces and sponsorship opportunities are available for Disaster Management 2019. The intimate event will allow companies to display their products and services, and network directly with delegates in a relaxed, face-to-face setting.

Event sponsorship allows companies to meet and network with key industry players in an intimate setting, demonstrate products and new technologies, present directly to the conference, build relationships with sales prospects, associate your company with a key industry event, and receive coverage in Infrastructure magazine after the event.

When you purchase an exhibition booth, you will also receive one full delegate registration. You’ll also enjoy the opportunity to directly take part in the delegate speed networking that takes place as part of the event.

With a limited number of sponsorship options available, companies are guaranteed to receive excellent value, with the opportunity to get directly in front of, and interact with, some of the most respected figures in the world of disaster management.

SAFER GROUND: NATIVE ANIMALS RELOCATED FROM MAJOR LNG PROJECT

Thirty thousand native animals have been recorded, and the majority moved to safety, as part of a major environmental program at Chevron’s Wheatstone LNG plant in Western Australia.

Western Australia’s north-west is a treasure trove of native animals. It’s also known as the engine room of Australia – home to a massive mining industry in crude oil, salt, natural gas and iron ore.

Located near Onslow on Western Australia’s Pilbara coast, Chevron’s Wheatstone LNG plant is one of Australia’s largest resource developments. As part of the construction of the onshore processing facility, Chevron’s principal contractor, Bechtel Australia, engaged environmental consultancy and wildlife research company, Terrestrial Ecosystems, to relocate native animals that would have otherwise lost their habitat.

Over seven years, from 2011 to 2018, more than 30,000 frogs, lizards, geckos, snakes and mammals – the largest number to have ever been removed from an industrial development site in Western Australia – were relocated from a 1,000-hectare area to beyond an exclusion zone around the facility.

Terrestrial Ecosystems has undertaken vertebrate fauna surveys and assessment programs on many other large projects across Western Australia, but this was the first time it had been engaged to carry out fauna salvage and feral animal control of this scale.

CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL

Dr Scott Thomson, Terrestrial Ecosystems Partner and Principal Zoologist, said his team was responsible for catching and relocating the native vertebrate fauna that were identified during the vegetation clearing program.

“This included over 10,000 frogs that would have died as part of the project construction,” Dr Thompson said.

The team also removed 4,200 animals from 158 termite mounds, which were carefully deconstructed to reveal the animals living inside, with 91 per cent of these being relocated. Each termite mound represented a fascinating community where a number of species lived together.

Larger animals, such as kangaroos and wallabies, which are generally thought to be capable of moving themselves on, were not relocated as part of the initiative.

Terrestrial Ecosystems staff also responded to more than

4,000 call-outs when animals entered the accommodation camp or work areas around the construction facility, and worked to educate site crew on fauna management and snake awareness.

BONUS BENEFITS

According to Dr Thompson, the benefits of the program extended beyond just those animals that were rehomed.

“We removed 77 feral cats from the project area, all of which would have continued to predate on native animals, birds and reptiles,” Dr Thompson said.

“And we gained new knowledge on invasive and nonnative fauna incursions into a major construction project and recorded range extensions for the distribution of many Western Australia fauna species.”

The program also provided real-life industry experience and career development to 50 early-career zoologists.

INDUSTRY LEADERS

Dr Thompson said the program demonstrated Chevron’s commitment to environmental management and sustainability.

“There were no formal approval conditions that required Chevron to capture and relocate fauna, so the relocation program was a Chevron initiative,” Dr Thompson said.

“This was a very positive initiative, and the results indicate that a very large number of animals were saved.”

Dr Thompson said he hoped the program’s success would encourage other companies to roll out similar initiatives, and not just when threatened species were identified in areas earmarked for development. The ongoing survival of relocated fauna should also be assessed.

“For most mining developments, fauna salvage programs are not implemented unless threatened species are identified as being present in the area during the impact assessment process,” Dr Thompson said.

“It is hoped that this program has influenced the regulatory approach for future construction management in Western Australia.”

ABOVE:TERMITE MOUND

LEFT: NEPHRURUS LEVIS –SMOOTH KNOB-TAILED GECKO

BELOW LEFT: ECHIDNA – TACHYGLOSSUS ACULEATUS

PUSHING FOR POLICY

However, Dr Thompson said he believed it would take a change in government policy with regards to fauna salvage and fauna management before there is a broad-scale change in the way companies approach environmental management during mining and land development programs.

“Currently there is no policy or State Government guidelines for this type of work, and the current focus is on the rare or threatened fauna only – even when this does occur, it is often done poorly,” Dr Thompson said.

“In the urban and peri-urban areas, it is largely still the responsibility of local government to get land developers to implement fauna salvage programs. As might be anticipated, the expectation of different local councils differs, and most land developers will only do what is required of them.

“State Government guidelines are essential and would mean a more universal implementation of fauna salvage programs across Western Australia during vegetation clearing programs, whether it be the mining or land development industries, with the consequence of a lot more animals that would otherwise die being relocated.

“Although it is not often mandated, these programs are a way for companies to offset the impacts that they will have on the fauna in and around their project area.

“It is being environmentally responsible.”

Reliable level measurement in water treatment facilities, pump stations and rain overflow basins. Open channel flow measurement and water level monitoring.

VEGAPULS WL S 61

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Investing in the future of WATER ASSETS

Aging infrastructure presents a key challenge to the water industry. Deteriorating assets threaten to undermine continuity of water supply and water quality. Industry-wide reform is required to ensure long-term asset investment decisions can be made without causing significant increases in the cost of water. Water utilities need to make prudent investment decisions in order to maximise the life of water assets. This paper considers the rehabilitation of concrete tanks, finding that a large multi-site rehabilitation program can be executed to effectively extend service life and maintain safe water supply.

The Australian water industry owns and operates assets with a combined value of over $160 billion.

There are 220 urban water authorities supplying water to over 20 million people and employing over 31,000 people, with 75,544GL supplied in 2015-16.

It is a significant industry adding over $13 billion to the Australian economy in 2015-16. Annual capital expenditure is estimated to be between $3.5 and $4.5 billion, 8.7 per cent of national infrastructure investment.

The price of water is low but, unless some significant reform in the industry occurs, prices are set to rise dramatically in the coming decades. In 2017, the annual cost of water to households was $1,226. In order to maintain the current standard of water supply, Infrastructure Australia modelling predicts the annual household water bill will

increase to $1,827 by 2027 (50 per cent increase) and to $2,553 by 2040 (more than double).

Maintaining, renewing and replacing aging infrastructure is one of the major drivers for cost increases and presents a key challenge to the water industry. The Australian Water Association report State of the Water Sector 2015 found that investing in asset maintenance, upgrades and augmentation was the number one priority for water sector reform.

The 2017 Infrastructure Australia report Reforming Urban Water noted that some urban water systems will require a step change in investment. The 2018 Australian Industry Standards Water Industry Key Findings Discussion Paper found that ‘the water industry is highly reliant on infrastructure, which requires ongoing maintenance and renewal. Given the dependency on aging infrastructure and

increasing urbanisation, new challenges are anticipated to emerge. Water supply management, quality control, and compliance will present complications that must be addressed’.

Water utilities need to consider the long-term interests of customers when making investment decisions. The Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) identified that additional infrastructure and expenditure for water distribution systems will be required to meet the challenge of aging infrastructure.

A key element of the water distribution system is water storage within the system. The Australasian Corrosion Association (ACA) Corrosion Challenges study found that approximately five per cent of the total cost of deteriorating assets was caused by tanks and similar assets, equating to an annual cost across the water industry of $42 million per year.

This paper outlines the approach of a large water authority to rehabilitation of concrete water storages to ensure supply and meet long-term demand for water.

The potable water supply in South Australia is primarily supplied by SA Water. The utility has a large network of reservoirs, treatment plants, tanks, earth bank storages, pipelines and pump stations which carry the water from the source to the customer.

Included in these assets are over 700 storage tanks, of which over 600 are concrete tanks. SA Water has a dedicated team of asset managers that manage these tanks, prioritise maintenance and renewal works, and plan for capital works.

In 2015, upon reviewing asset data, SA Water identified 92 tanks that required various levels of structural renewal in order to ensure water supply and maintain service to SA Water customers.

In 2016, SA Water began a four-year program to upgrade and refurbish these 92 tanks. These tanks were prioritised due to condition, criticality and opportunity, and the majority were concrete tanks with steel roofs.

The cost of the refurbishment is approximately $70 million. This is a major investment in ensuring safe and reliable water for the people of South Australia. It is the largest renewal program of its type that SA Water has ever undertaken. Indeed, it is one of the largest ongoing concrete rehabilitation programs in Australia.

OVERVIEW OF TANK DESIGN

The common tank design employed by SA Water is an in situ cast concrete floor with a ring beam, in situ cast concrete walls and a galvanized steel sheeting roof (Figure 1), with a galvanized steel roof support structure supported by concrete columns within the tank (Figure 2). Some of the columns were precast but the majority were cast in situ.

Tank capacity ranged from 200KL to 56ML, and diameter ranged from 12m to 77m. Tank wall height ranged from 2m to 12m. Tank date of construction ranged from 1890-2000.

The scope of work for each tank was determined through a series of inspections. In order to capture the various aspects of the scope, the tanks were broken down into elements as per Figure 3. This breakdown is largely consistent with the WSAA Condition Assessment Guidelines for Civil Structures. Each element was assigned a Condition Grade correlating with the observed condition during inspection, and repair actions were determined.

Investing in the future of water assets

DESCRIPTION OF REHABILITATION WORKS

For a state-wide renewal program with so many different sites and so many variations of tank configuration, it was not efficient to design a specific rehabilitation solution for each site.

Therefore, some typical drawings were developed for expected scenarios for the rehabilitation of spalling concrete and for the repair of concrete columns.

Concrete rehabilitation

Two types of concrete repair were developed, to repair scenarios where excessive reinforcement corrosion has occurred and where it has not occurred. The requirement for the concrete repairs was to return to standard configuration and provide an additional 40 years’ service life. A schematic view of the typical repair is provided in Figure 4.

The simplified sequence of work was as per Table 1.

TABLE 1. CONCRETE REHABILITATION SEQUENCE OF WORK

Step Description

1 & 2 Break out spalled and drummy concrete

3 Saw cut edges

4 Assess reinforcement condition. Replace if metal loss is greater than 30 per cent

5 Blast or wire brush the reinforcing bar clean

6 Apply zinc rich primer to reinforcing bar

7 Patch repair concrete with an approved product

8 & 9 Apply approved coating if specified

External condition of concrete walls

Delamination of concrete on external walls was found by tap testing. Simple pH testing for depth of carbonation was conducted using a drill and phenolphthalein solution.

For many tanks in the program only a small number of repairs were required, less than 3m2, although the most significantly affected tanks required up to 30m2 of repair.

The mechanism for this type of corrosion of reinforcement and subsequent spalling is carbonation. Concrete spalling was more noticeable in areas of low cover.

Internal condition of concrete walls

The internal condition of the concrete walls was generally good. The common design included more than 50mm concrete cover to reinforcement and this has proven to provide good protection to the reinforcement. Minor issues had occurred with old fittings and remnants of formwork that had been embedded in the concrete.

Previously, issues with circumferential construction joints were reported and these continue to be common in older tanks. These were repaired with Hypalon® strip. Some tanks exhibited minor cracking believed to be associated with movement and were repaired by crack injection methods.

Two instances of severe corrosion of reinforcement had occurred as shown in Figures 5 and 6. These areas had suffered severe localised corrosion and metal loss. In both cases, the concrete appeared to have been poorly compacted which may have contributed to severe corrosion in these locations, whereas nearby areas did not experience the same corrosion.

Other contributors may have been local concrete cracking or poor quality steel. In the case of poor compaction and local cracking, the diffusion rate of chlorides to the steel surface was likely to be higher.

Reinforced concrete column rehabilitation

The columns presented some particular structural challenges in terms of concrete rehabilitation. The columns are tall slender elements that have a foundation in the floor slab and are connected at the top to the roof support structure.

SA Water tanks constructed before the 1960s were designed such that the roof directed rainwater into the tank. However, this created water quality issues due to pollutants from the air, leaves and debris entering the water. From the 1960s onward, the roofs were constructed so that the rainwater flowed to perimeter gutters and into a site stormwater system.

Consequently, the roofs had to be raised to achieve the required pitch and this was done by increasing the height of the columns. A number of methods were used; steel stubs, stainless steel stubs and in situ cast concrete either to the same dimensions as the original or to a larger cross section to provide additional concrete cover to the reinforcement.

It was found during site inspections that the tops of the extended concrete columns often suffered steel reinforcement corrosion and spalling. When the spalled concrete was removed, the most common contributor to premature failure was low concrete cover to the reinforcement.

Investing in the future of water assets

In that case, reinstating the column to the original dimension by patch repair would not provide the durability required for the ongoing service of the column due to the cover remaining low. Therefore, additional concrete material needed to be applied to achieve the required cover to reinforcement. Installation of this additional material created a construction challenge.

Initially, it was planned to construct conventional formwork and pour additional material at the top of the column. This presented construction issues due to working at heights and created significant weight at the top of the column which was undesirable from a structural perspective.

Industry feedback led to designs that incorporated fibreglass jackets as formwork. These jackets could be stacked for the full height of the column and filled with grout to create a new larger column (Figure 7).

SUMMARY

A significant concrete rehabilitation program for potable and raw water concrete tanks has been undertaken by SA Water, which has involved detailed planning, site visits and construction activities at 92 sites across South Australia.

It has been found that steel reinforcement corrosion within concrete columns has occurred above and below the water line. The proposed mechanism for the above the water line corrosion is carbonation with additional influences from soft water attack and stressing of the columns due to daily expansion contraction cycles.

The corrosion below the water line was unexpected as this type of corrosion has not been common at SA Water in the past. The proposed mechanism for the corrosion below the water line is alkali leaching coupled with chloride ion ingress. Severe reinforcement corrosion has occurred at anoxic zones adjacent to concrete cracks that extend to the reinforcement. Rehabilitation options for the deteriorated concrete have been developed.

The evolution of the renewal program has involved a number of unexpected challenges and continuous improvement opportunities. The size and complexity of this state-wide program has included up to thirty simultaneous work sites and created many logistical challenges. The condition of every tank at the start of work on each site has been different. An effort has been made to develop typical solutions, but particular attention needs to be paid to the actual condition at each site to ensure adequate rehabilitation works are completed.

Further review led to the use of a carbon fibre wrap solution which could readily be applied to the tops of the columns without creating an increased weight issue (Figure 8). This solution was found to be more efficient in terms of time and cost than the jacket style solutions.

CONCLUSIONS

The water industry in Australia faces many challenges but key amongst these is aging infrastructure. Significant investment in asset rehabilitation is required in order to maintain the required level of service to customers, both in terms of water supply and water quality.

This paper has provided a snapshot of one program at one water authority. Similar projects are underway across Australia as part of the ongoing effort to meet the challenge of aging infrastructure.

If existing assets are not maintained, the cost of future replacement will result in increases in the cost of water. The AWA 2016 Australian Water Outlook states that lack of investment in infrastructure now will be costly in the long run.

Paul Vince is a corrosion engineering consultant that works with clients to maximise the life of assets. He is primarily involved with condition assessment and remediation options for concrete and steel structures. He previously worked as Associate Materials Engineer at WSP, Principal Materials Engineer at SA Water and as Senior Materials Engineer at ASC (formerly Australian Submarine Corporation). He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Metallurgical Engineering) from the University of South Australia and a Master of Engineering (Materials) from Monash University. He was formerly the Chairman of the Australasian Corrosion Association and is currently a Board member of the NACE International Institute.

DAMS DELIVER ENERGY AND WATER SAVINGS

Enhancing the safety of dams and securing reliable water supplies are top priorities of the Queensland Government’s 2019-20 Natural Resources, Mines and Energy budget. With electricity the biggest cost of drinking water production, bulk water provider Seqwater is harnessing the power of its dams to generate renewable energy and reduce operational expenses.

SEQWATER PROJECT MANAGER, STUART ROBERTS, LEADS A TOUR OF THE SOMERSET DAM HYDROELECTRIC PLANT FOR NATURAL RESOURCES, MINES AND ENERGY MINISTER, DR ANTHONY LYNHAM, AND SEQWATER CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, NEIL BRENNAN. A MAJOR REFURBISHMENT WAS RECENTLY COMPLETED ON THE PLANT.

Seqwater is the Queensland Government statutory authority responsible for providing safe, affordable and reliable bulk drinking water supply for more than 3.2 million people across South East Queensland (SEQ).

It is one of Australia’s largest water businesses with the most geographically spread and diverse asset base of any capital city water authority. Seqwater operations extend from

the New South Wales border to the base of the Toowoomba ranges and north to Gympie.

Seqwater manages water supply assets including the SEQ Water Grid and the natural catchments that make up the region’s major water supply sources. Seqwater owns and operates 26 dams, 51 weirs, 37 water treatment plants, one desalination plant and 646km of supply pipelines across SEQ.

DAMS

Dams deliver energy and water savings

With electricity the highest single cost to the production of drinking water, identifying ways to reduce energy expenses is critical to managing operational costs and Seqwater’s overall environmental footprint.

To make sure Seqwater sustainably meets the region’s long-term water supply demands, the organisation produced an Energy Strategy in April 2018 which focused on four outcome areas: sustainable energy culture, energy efficiency, energy generation and optimised commercial energy arrangements.

As part of the Energy Strategy, Seqwater completed the refurbishment of the Somerset Dam Hydroelectric Plant in May 2019. The plant is a key asset to the strategy which originally commenced operation when the dam was built in 1954, but had been offline for more than seven years after it was inundated by flood waters in January 2011.

OPTIMISING ENERGY CONSUMPTION TO REDUCE WATER SUPPLY COSTS

Hydro plants capture the energy of falling water to generate electricity. A turbine converts the kinetic energy of falling water into mechanical energy, and a generator then converts the mechanical energy from the turbine into electrical energy.

A comprehensive study of the Somerset Dam Hydroelectric Plant was undertaken post-flood which identified a rebuild of the plant as the best option for its future.

The $12 million refurbishment has restored the plant to virtually as-new condition and included a redesign of the original turbine to increase capacity from 3.2 to 4.3 megawatts. Refurbishment works have increased output and efficiency, while a new generator and control system have allowed for remote operation.

The plant is able to operate up to 24 hours a day and has increased Seqwater’s capacity to produce renewable energy for the state’s electricity grid as part of regular dam operation.

The water used to generate green energy is also used to provide drinking water for the region. Somerset is unique in the way water releases can be retained for water supply as flows leave Somerset Dam and are captured downstream at Wivenhoe Dam which provides up to 50 per cent of SEQ’s water supply.

Seqwater estimates up to 30-40 per cent of its annual energy consumption could be provided by renewable energy over the next decade. Seqwater’s energy initiatives will contribute to the Powering Queensland Plan initiative of the Queensland Government and achieving its target of 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030.

Seqwater Chief Executive Officer, Neil Brennan, said there were significant opportunities available to offset electricity costs by increasing Seqwater’s renewable energy generation and optimising energy consumption.

“In turn this can help reduce the cost of water treatment and the supply of drinking water to businesses and households,’’ Mr Brennan said.

“Seqwater now produces hydro energy at Wivenhoe, Somerset and the Landers Shute Water Treatment Plant, while the possibility of more hydropower being produced by state dams is being examined.”

MORE HYDROPOWER PROSPECTS ON THE HORIZON

Seqwater is currently undertaking a pre-feasibility study to understand the technical and economic feasibility of hydropower generation across its other dams. The study will examine sites for traditional hydroelectric plants at existing dams as well as the pre-feasibility of larger pumped hydro storage.

The pre-feasibility study is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

Mr Brennan said Seqwater was continuously looking for opportunities to improve energy usage which was a challenge shared across the industry.

“Seqwater will continue to collaborate with government and industry peers to align and deliver improved energy outcomes while continuing to supply safe, affordable and reliable drinking water to the community,” he said.

To assist with the tracking of its strategic energy objectives, Seqwater is developing an Energy Management System and Plan based on ISO 50001 – an International Standard that enables organisations to establish systems and processes necessary to continually improve energy performance, including energy efficiency, energy use and energy consumption. Seqwater is the first organisation in Queensland to align its energy management practices to ISO 50001 and the second water body in Australia to exercise such practice.

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WATER FILTRATION TRIAL TO COMMENCE IN VIETNAM

Quantum Filtration Medium has announced a first pilot trial for Municipal Water Works in Vietnam of its DMI-65® water filtration media, with the trial to take place in Vietnam in late 2019 at the Binh Dinh Municipal Water Works (MWW).

DMI-65®, which has been used extensively in a wide variety of applications for over 15 years, is an extremely powerful catalytic water filtration media that is designed for the removal of iron and manganese in water, without the need for potassium permanganate or chemical regeneration.

DMI-65®

The unique microporous structure of DMI-65® efficiently removes dissolved iron to almost undetectable levels – as low as 0.001ppm and manganese to 0.001ppm.

DMI-65® acts as an oxidation catalyst with immediate oxidation and filtration of the insoluble precipitates derived from this oxidation reaction. DMI-65® can also remove arsenic, aluminium and other heavy metals, as well as hydrogen sulfide under certain conditions.

The material is part of the broad category of products deriving their physical and chemical action from the interaction of their metal oxide surface with the water molecules and ions in solution.

THE PILOT TRIAL

The Binh Dinh MWW pilot trial is the latest opportunity for Quantum Filtration Medium to showcase the efficacy of DMI65®, with the Binh Dinh MWW not only in continuous operation, but also processing over 30,000 m3 water per day, and with elemental iron (Fe 1mg/L) and manganese (Mn 2mg/L) present in the raw ground water in 14 of the local wells.

The pilot trial will see a 600mm filter filled with 413kg of DMI-65®, which will allow for a 1000mm bed depth. Processing 25L/s, the test pilot filter will process at a speed of 5.3m3/m2/hour, replicating the speed of the Binh Dinh MWW.

THE BENEFITS

DMI-65® was selected for the pilot trial due to its ability to simultaneously remove the raw water iron and manganese concentrations to less than 0.3mg/L, which – when implemented at Binh Dinh MWW – will make the water from all 14 wells suitable and safe to drink.

One of the other significant benefits the pilot trial will demonstrate is the reduction in poly aluminium chloride

(PAC) dosing, as DMI-65® has a high tolerance for total suspended solids and can mechanically retain suspended solids in the filter bed. These can then be released to waste during backwash.

While chlorine gas (CI2) will be used in the feed water and backwash water to keep the DMI-65® in good condition and clean from iron and manganese biofouling, it requires no chemical regeneration and will last up to ten years in continuous operation. This is because the media is made with infusion technology and not just a surface coating technology (unlike other catalytic water filtration media).

“The DMI-65® is a very low cost, high-performance method of removing elemental iron, manganese and suspended solids. The DMI-65® allows for optimisation of chemicals used, reducing operating costs while improving water quality and output, with minimal changes to the existing plant and Binh Dinh,” James Glaskin, General Manager at Quantum Filtration Medium, said.

For more information, visit www.dmi65.com.

SYDNEY WATER’S INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO PREDICT, DISCOVER

AND REPAIR LEAKS

Sydney Water manages a large and complex network of over 22,000km of water mains. About two-thirds of these assets are buried, which presents significant access challenges. The replacement of mains is expensive – Sydney Water spends up to $90 million a year on water main renewals. In order to reduce the cost of replacing pipes and to minimise disruption to customers, Sydney Water is implementing current, emerging and innovative new technologies to reduce leaks and breaks in its network.

Anumber of the technologies developed, adopted or adapted are already incorporated as “business as usual” at Sydney Water, with others in development or in the pilot phase, pointing to an exciting future.

The leaks and breaks program integrates a series of projects which are running in parallel – critical pipe failure prediction, sensing and analytics, smart lining for pipes and the use of robotics.

Sydney Water’s in-house experts are collaborating with the world’s leading utilities, external research organisations and universities.

PIPE FAILURE PREDICTION RESEARCH

In collaboration with Australian Utilities, UWKIR and WaterRF, Sydney Water led a very successful research and innovation project on pipe failure prediction. Sydney Water has now partnered with the CSIRO’s Data 61 to implement this research to improve assessment of water pipes using smart technology. This provides the ability to better predict where pipe failures will occur.

Tool kits have been developed from the research including prioritising the pipe cohorts, a data-driven model, a condition assessment framework, a corrosion prediction model and a

pipe failure prediction model. These will all be part of Sydney Water’s normal business from 2021.

This research has already led to a pipeline replacement saving of around $10 million. The research has also contributed to the reduction of renewals, with improved targeting lowering the cost from $50 million to $30 million per year.

ROBOTICS IN PIPES

With improved pipe failure prediction, Sydney Water is now working with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) to develop three innovative robotic tools to improve methods for pipe condition assessment.

Different sensors can be connected to the robots to detect key parameters for pipe performance, such as wall thickness.

The use of robots to inspect pipes is currently providing the ability to better target vulnerable sections of pipe during renewals. Use of robots will allow Sydney Water to reduce pipe renewal costs by around 20 per cent.

The robotic tools allow Sydney Water to inspect pipes safely and cost-effectively. They are able to identify vulnerable sections of water and wastewater pipes for replacement or repair. These robotic devices are now used in business operations.

1. Rapid Response Thickness Tool (R2T2)

This robot is designed to assess a water main either side of a break during the brief window between the break and its repair. It is capable of operating in cast iron pipes between 375mm and 750mm diameter. Information being gathered is already helping to identify pipe segments near breaks that are vulnerable, making it possible for Sydney Water to take steps to minimise repeat failures to the same customers.

2. The Thickness Tool for Planned Operations (T2PO)

This robot is designed to be used in a water main during a planned shutdown. The objective is to identify and replace vulnerable sections of a critical main and keep sections that are structurally sound in service.

3. Hand-Held Tool

One of the sensors developed for these robots has been packaged into a hand-held measurement tool to manually take spot thickness measurements of a pipe wall.

4. Wall Thickness Maps

These robotic tools are equipped with multiple sensors. Interpretation algorithms analyse the signal acquired by onboard electronics to obtain the remaining pipe wall thickness under each of the sensors. These are then assembled to generate a pipe wall thickness map. Patch dimensions can be extracted for use with Sydney Water failure prediction tools to assess the pipe condition.

SMART LININGS FOR PIPES AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Sydney Water currently spends $120 million per year on linings and coatings for water and wastewater pipes. A collaborative Cooperative Research Centres program, championed by Sydney Water and led by the Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA) with involvement from major Australian utilities, 13 suppliers of coatings and linings and three universities – Monash, UTS and Sydney University – is underway. The CRC Program supports industry-led collaborations between industry, researchers and the community. The program is now conducting trials to test and validate existing innovative linings and coatings. In conjunction with the trial, UTS is developing a leadingedge sensing capability to provide non-destructive quality assurance testing.

Innovative linings extend the life of existing pipes, improve liner performance and also enable quicker return to service. It is expected that innovative lining technologies will generate a minimum ten per cent saving on pipe replacements, with this saving to increase over future years.

Three lining technologies are currently being trialled by Sydney Water:

1. A rapid-setting liner sprayed onto pipe interiors is being tested by UTS, in collaboration with other universities and representative companies from the lining industry, to improve existing lining products and develop new robotics and sensing technologies for liner application and pipe inspection.

A spray-lining rig has been imported from the UK to trial new pipe lining materials.

The multimillion-dollar project is funded by several partners, including Sydney Water and the Commonwealth Government. Australia is expected to represent five per cent of the smart lining market over the next decade, which is estimated at over $60 billion globally.

2. The Insituform cured-in-place-pipe product is being tested in conjunction with Comdain in Sydney Water’s 600mm Pipe Test Bed.

InsituMain is a thin-walled, tight-fitting rehabilitation product that consists of a glass reinforced felt tube which is impregnated with a thermosetting epoxy resin. An internal polypropylene coating ensures the pipe’s hydraulic capacity is maintained or increased despite the small diameter reduction.

Installation is via a process called “inversion” where compressed air is used to unravel the uncured liner into the host pipe, in a flexible state. Once the liner is in place it is cured using steam. In most cases, the CIPP liner is installed and cured in a single day,

The end result is a structural, jointless pipe-within-a-pipe, providing protection against corrosion, build up and leakage, with minimal impact to the community and stakeholders.

3. Sydney Water has engaged Interflow to undertake a trial installation of SaniLine® W, a trenchless cured-in-place-pipe product suitable for pressure applications.

SaniLine is a lining system designed to span holes and gaps in the host pipe at normal operating pressures.

SaniLine consists of a resistant polyester-yarn textile liner with a polyurethane or polyethylene coating. Installation is also via inversion. Once the liner is in place it is cured using water. In most cases, the CIPP liner is installed within six hours and cured within a single day.

ADVANCED SENSING

Sydney Water, the New South Wales Sensing Network (NSSN), along with utilities in both Australia and the UK and five leading universities, are working together to investigate, develop and test emerging sensing technologies to better predict pipe failures. These include hydrophone arrays, quantum gravity sensors, acoustic sensors and pressure transient sensors.

Sydney Water’s innovative approaches to predict, discover and repair leaks

QUANTUM SENSING AND HYDROPHONE ARRAYS

The application of this defence industry capability was recommended by the Chief Scientist to the Sydney Water team to consider. As part of this recommended approach, the project has two significant innovative projects on quantum sensing and optical-fibre hydrophone arrays.

Professor John Close from the Australian National University (ANU) is the lead researcher on this project and over the next ten years, quantum gravity field and gradient sensors will be developed. They can be used to build a 3D map of the gravity field relating to the density of material around pipes, and will verify the underground moisture and leaks in pipes. They will allow workers to see through the ground, using gravity to identify buried objects that are not possible to detect using alternative technologies.

The optical-fibre hydrophone arrays are packaged by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), with the defence industry supplier Thales providing the hydrophone technology. This technology was originally developed for ocean monitoring and is currently used by Thales Australia for submarine detection.

Arrays will be put inside fibre lead cables which will monitor and produce necessary data output and will be tested in Sydney Water’s 600mm pipe test bed.

Manufactured locally, both technologies will create opportunities to better identify which sections of the pipe will require further condition assessment.

ACOUSTIC SENSING AND DATA ANALYTICS

Current leading-edge acoustic sensors can be used to detect frequency, sound levels and other key parameters to enable leak detection.

Leading acoustic sensors and pressure transient loggers will be deployed in the Mt Pritchard, Liverpool and

Bankstown pressure zones, in Sydney’s south-west and in the CBD, with digital metering and flow/pressure monitoring to verify the value of smart sensing in networks to reduce leaks and predict breaks.

SA Water has demonstrated a 50 per cent reduction in reactive maintenance in the Adelaide CBD, using intelligent sensing and data-driven interpretation, and they are transferring knowledge to Sydney Water.

L i DAR TECHNOLOGY

Drone-mounted LiDAR will assess the moisture around and wetness of water pipes by correlating variations in light intensity with surface moisture, and then processing the data using advanced algorithms.

Sydney Water will work closely with Hunter Water and the University of Newcastle to verify whether LiDAR satellite technology will be of value when used with a drone to assess moisture, so that higher risk pipes susceptible to external corrosion can be detected and preventative measures enacted.

Paul Higham, Head of Service Strategy and Planning at Sydney Water, said, “This is an exciting time for Sydney Water and the water industry. We are implementing current and emerging technologies and innovating exciting new sensors that will enable improved services to customers.

“The collaboration between utilities, research institutions and the private sector has led to significant fast-tracking of the implementation of innovation and has created a number of benefits.

“As well as saving costs and extending pipe life, the technology can reduce out-of-service times and excavation work during water asset renewal works that inconveniences motorists, residents and the public.”

BUNDABERG’S SMART WATER METERS ARE IN AND COUNTING!

Bundaberg Regional Council is undertaking a smart water meter trial. The meters have been installed, and data is already being collected, analysed and utilised.

Taggle Systems is one of the providers for the Bundaberg trial and operates a Low Power Wide Area Network by which the smart water meters communicate water usage on an hourly basis.

The meters installed include the new Honeywell V200HT, which has the Taggle radio technology built in, as well as meters with a retrofit transmitter depending on the size, type and location of the meter.

Council staff members have been trained in using MiWater, Taggle’s meter data management application, which will alert them to potential leaks so they can notify residents or businesses of any potential issues on their property.

Customers in the trial areas will be given access to their water consumption data via a secure customer portal, where they can monitor their water use and set alerts for high consumption and potential leaks.

A number of leaks have already been detected and fixed. A leak of approximately 60L per hour was identified at a commercial property in the town centre of Bundaberg. The leak was concealed under the asphalt surface of the road and may have continued undetected for a long period had it not been flagged by the system.

Providing customers with access to their water consumption builds trust and better relationships; the council can now deliver better water services and answer questions with reference to water usage data if any issues arise.

Customers are less likely to be confronted by large water bills resulting from those concealed leaks that cannot be detected immediately by infrequent manual readings. Such leaks, if not attended to quickly, can cause significant infrastructure damage.

Bundaberg’s smart water meter trial includes two providers, with new meters installed at 1,250 properties across the region, including Bundaberg CBD, Childers, Gin Gin and Burnett Heads.

These locations were chosen for the trial to provide a mix of residential and commercial entities in different locations, providing opportunities for the council to better understand the pros and cons of Automatic Meter Reading and the range of issues that might arise in its implementation.

Water meters may be located in hard to reach places, hidden from sight, in high-risk environments, under metal lids, in basements or on properties with aggressive dogs. Such situations make it difficult to read the meters manually and create risky situations for meter reading staff.

Digital meter readings will greatly simplify the reading of all meters and allow council staff to carry out more important tasks, such as maintenance and repairs. In some cases, staff may be able to upgrade their skills to do more rewarding work.

The purpose of the trial is to help the council decide if Automatic Meter Reading will benefit the community and, if so, to test a range of different technologies and communications platforms to determine which is the best fit for the region.

More than a quarter of the meter fleet needs immediate replacement so now is a great time for the council to investigate new technologies that can greatly benefit customers, save water and reduce costs through system improvements.

For more information, visit taggle.com.au.

REDUCE LEAKAGE AND IMPROVE EFFICIENCY HELPING HUNTER WATER DIGITAL

Digital innovation is transforming the way Hunter Water operates its water network, helping to maximise efficiency, reduce water losses and drive better outcomes for its customers and community.

Hunter Water provides drinking water, wastewater, recycled water and some stormwater services to a population of almost 600,000 people in the Lower Hunter region in NSW. With more than 5,000km of water pipes, the utility is increasingly looking for new, more innovative ways to reduce leakage.

The latest National Performance Report shows that Hunter Water has reduced leakage by 20 per cent in three years. This encouraging result has been achieved in part by investing in and implementing an aggressive active leak detection program. Last financial year saw the entire water network surveyed, up from a historic norm of 20 per cent, or 1,000km, of the network per year.

Hunter Water is utilising technologies to understand where

water is going and how it can better prioritise its efforts to find leaks. It is also implementing smart software such as TaKaDu to identify hidden leaks and help prioritise leak detection work. This has recently been expanded to cover a quarter of the water network.

TRIAL UNDERWAY TO IMPROVE NETWORK VISIBILITY

Hunter Water is also in the early stages of a digital innovation trial at Lake Macquarie and Maitland, which is helping to find and fix hidden leaks and predict water main breaks before they occur. The trial is using Internet of Things (IoT) devices with data science, and acoustic monitoring technology, to monitor the water pressure and flow in parts of the network.

Hunter Water’s Chief Information and

Technology Officer, Richard Harris, said the trial was an exciting opportunity for Hunter Water.

“This is a first-of-its-kind digital innovation project for Hunter Water and the early results are promising. Intelligent networks are helping transform the way we do business, driving better outcomes for our customers and community,” Mr Harris said.

“We’re using the latest in Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and data science to more effectively understand the operation of our network. This involves using devices like pressure sensors and flow meters on our water infrastructure between Dora Creek and Arcadia Vale.

“These devices, combined with the use of advanced analytics, enables us to monitor the water flow

and pressure in real time, giving us greater visibility of how the system is performing. Having that visibility allows us to more quickly find and respond to breaks if they occur, particularly those in remote locations.

“Part of the trial has also involved working with data scientists to model breaks, with an aim to predict and prevent them from occurring. We are doing this by applying machine learning and Artificial Intelligence to analyse data in real time.

“We’re also undertaking acoustic monitoring in Louth Park and Glendale. This technology gives us an opportunity to listen for water leaks in our network and it alerts us if a leak is getting worse. In the first few months of the trial, we have already identified more than a dozen leaks in remote locations. These leaks could have potentially gone undetected so this is a really promising start.

“Leaks can sometimes be a precursor to a water main break, so the sooner we find leaks, the sooner we can fix them and minimise any

potential impact on our customers and community.”

MONITORING PUMP PERFORMANCE

IoT devices are also being trialled to understand the behaviour, health and lifecycle of Hunter Water’s pumps across its water network, and so far the results have been promising.

A total of 34 devices have been installed to monitor the vibration, tone and temperature of the pumps. This information, combined with Hunter Water’s data, provides a more accurate picture of how the pumps are performing and alerts crews to potential issues before they occur.

“Hunter Water is committed to reducing leakage and operating its water network as efficiently as possible. Digital innovation and new technologies are

helping us to find smarter, more innovative ways to do business and deliver even better outcomes for our customers and community,” Mr Harris said.

“It’s extremely exciting for these trials to be underway. If successful, we hope to expand them to other parts of our network and apply the learnings to future projects.”

We all know an organisation is only as good as the people who work in it – You!

We’re PNP, and as people who’ve worked in the utilities sector, we’re known for putting the ‘You’ in utilities.

As a national contractor and staff placement and payroll management agency, we’re committed to servicing and supporting utility organisations across electricity, gas, pipelines, telecommunications, and water infrastructure.

For great people who live and work in utilities, whether you’ve found them or need us to find them for you, we’re your key to personnel.

Trenchless technology ENABLES ESSENTIAL SEWER UPGRADE

Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) is a steerable trenchless method of installing underground pipes, conduits and cables in a shallow arc along a prescribed path by using a surface launched drilling rig, with limited impact on the surrounding area. Unitywater, which supplies water and sewerage services to the Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast and Noosa regions in South-East Queensland, utilised this method of trenchless technology on its Caloundra and Mountain Creek to Kawana sewerage pipeline projects, which featured the longest horizontal directional drill of this size pipe undertaken in Australia.

Between January 2017 and July 2018, Unitywater upgraded two major sewage transport systems, including two new pipelines – one in Caloundra and one in the Mountain Creek area.

Amanda Creevey, Executive Manager Sustainable Infrastructure Solutions at Unitywater, said there was a need to increase the capacity of the sewerage network in both locations.

“With new developments and expected population growth in these areas we need to ensure we have the right infrastructure in place to cater for our communities while protecting public health and the environment.”

Horizontal Directional Drilling was chosen as the preferred construction method as it minimised the impact to the environment, local community and traffic.

“There were a number of factors considered when planning these projects and choosing horizontal directional drilling. The majority of the trenchless sections were selected so as not to disturb water bodies, intersections and environmental areas, and to improve sewerage system efficiency,” Ms Creevey said.

“We were very mindful of the local community and road users, and using horizontal directional drilling helped to minimise any disruption and inconvenience for them.

“Overall, about 81 per cent of the pipelines were constructed using trenchless methods.”

A NEW PIPELINE FOR CALOUNDRA

The Caloundra Sewage Transport System refers to the interconnected pumping stations and pressure mains that deliver sewage from Pelican Waters, Golden Beach, the Caloundra City Central Business District, Currimundi and the broader Caloundra catchment area to the Kawana Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). It also includes the growing communities of Caloundra South (Aura).

Unitywater constructed a new 900mm sewer rising main 2.5km from the existing sewage pumping station near the corner of Caloundra Road and Pelican Waters Boulevard to Beerburrum Road.

Construction consisted of two horizontal directional drills, the longest being 1.6km – making it the longest drill of this size pipe installed in Australia.

The new pipeline has been connected to existing pipelines and sewage pumping stations which supply the Kawana STP.

DIVERTING SEWAGE FROM MAROOCHYDORE TO KAWANA

Sewage from South Buderim, Sippy Downs and Mountain Creek is currently transported to the Maroochydore STP. A new 3.2km, 900mm sewer rising main will deliver it to the Kawana STP, reducing the load on the Maroochydore STP.

The Kawana STP is currently undergoing a major upgrade to increase the plant’s capacity from 90,000 people to about 200,000 people.

Construction of the new sewerage main consisted of four trenchless sections involving three horizontal directional drills, the longest being 1.2km, and a 24m Guided Boring Machine (GBM) thrust bore.

Ms Creevey said that Unitywater recognised a number of benefits in diverting sewage from the Maroochydore STP to the Kawana STP.

“The benefits included a shorter sewage transport distance (approximately 5km to the Kawana STP rather than 9km to the Maroochydore STP); reduced operating and energy costs due to the sloping landscape in the area (the sewage can travel down to Kawana STP, rather than being pumped over the Mooloolaba Road ridge and into the Maroochydore area); and reduced loads entering the Maroochydore STP."

DEVELOPING AN EFFICIENT AND INNOVATIVE CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGY

Knowing there was significant risk with using HDD, Unitywater appointed a specialised trenchless contractor, Pipeline Drillers Group.

“Although the horizontal alignment was determined, the trenchless methodology (i.e. extending, reducing, deepening and/or joining) remained open to the contractor to encourage innovation and efficient construction methodologies,” Ms Creevey said.

Trenchless technology enables essential sewer upgrade

“The contractor combined two proposed horizontal directional drills into a single drill as it was a more efficient construction methodology. This helped reduce the construction footprint, minimise vegetation clearing, improve overall sewerage system efficiency and address odour issues which resulted in less impact on the community.

“All the trenchless sections of the alignment were either extended or joined, significantly minimising the construction footprint.

“Positioning dual rigs on each drill enabled a closed loop system for mud management, and noise impacts were reduced by drilling umbilicals under roads to allow construction equipment to be located further away from residential streets.

“Approval was obtained to use river water for hydro testing of the pipelines, saving two million litres of potable water. Test water was discharged through the STP.

“By limiting trenching, environmental impacts were negligible, with less tree clearing, dewatering, runoff and reinstatement required.”

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY

Ms Creevey said that the main challenges encountered during construction of the Caloundra pipeline were hard ground, which required a particular drill tool and methodology, and rig maintenance to ensure all equipment was well maintained.

“We were required to install an enveloper pipe under Caloundra Road to protect the road and road users. We then drilled through the enveloper pipe,” Ms Creevey said.

“We also experienced an incident where drilling fluids were released through the road surface on Nicklin Way while we were drilling. We reassessed and redrilled deeper underground.”

On the Mountain Creek to Kawana pipeline, Unitywater and Pipeline Drillers Group had to contend with varying geology, including a gravel layer and soft and hard ground in some parts, which required a different drill tool and methodology.

“This was overcome by ensuring our contractor had a rigorous design and sufficient plant and machinery to enable construction,” Ms Creevey said.

“As the rigs (and ancillaries) work so hard there are both planned and unplanned maintenance activities. We ensured the plant and machinery were well maintained and our contractor had sufficient spares.

“Once again, we had to keep local residents in mind when completing works to minimise any noise and dust inconvenience.”

In the long term, these upgrades will deliver a number of benefits to the community, such as:

• Improving the efficiency of the sewerage systems and reducing overall maintenance costs in readiness for projected population growth

• Alleviating the frequency and severity of sewage overflows during extreme wet weather

• Tying in with current major development work in the Caloundra and Mountain Creek to Kawana areas

• Addressing odour and pipe corrosion issues

PROVIDING SOLUTIONS FOR:

• Municipal Sewage Treatment

• Commercial & Industrial Estates

• Government Projects

• Residential Developments

• Urban Subdivisions

• Resorts & Caravan Parks

• Mining Accommodation

• Airports & Infrastructure

• Service Stations

• Defence Assets

Utility Partner Solutions

Sewer maintenance structures: THE MISSING LINK IN SEWER REHABILITATION

Preserving Sewer Maintenance

Structures (SMS), also known as manholes, is an everyday problem for the diligent sewer asset manager. These structures are fundamental to sewer network performance and provide a vital link for serviceability.

With much of the focus on the pipe in network rehabilitation, the range of products available to adequately rehabilitate SMS has been limited. This all changes with a Cured-In-Place Manhole (CIPM) system.

Many of the issues with rehabilitated structures come back to haunt the diligent sewer asset manager because, until recently, the solutions have been temporary and heavily reliant on the condition of the existing substrate. The substrate often fails when active concrete degradation continues behind the newly applied coating.

Asset managers seeking 50-year design life criteria have been challenged with the existing coatings for SMS, with a complicated composite style approach to design that is dependent on the quality of the material supplied.

Alternative Lining Technologies Australia has found the solution to these problems for the Australian asset manager. As the name suggests, CIPM is a cured-in-place lining solution that can be customised to suit virtually any shape SMS, pump well or other underground structure.

CIPM by Alternative Lining Technologies LLC of Michigan has been utilised in the US for over twenty years.

ABERGELDIE COMPLEX INFRASTRUCTURE

Unlike coatings, CIPM provides a structural solution that features:

• Zero reliance on the SMS substrate condition

• Acid-resistant PVC surface

• Fast installation process

• 50-year plus lifetime solution backed by 20-year warranty

Alternative Lining Technologies has completed installations of CIPM within the Melbourne Water, Yarra Valley Water and South East Water catchment areas in Victoria.

Alternative Lining Technologies and delivery partner, Abergeldie Complex Infrastructure, are now installing CIPM across Australia and New Zealand.

ALTERNATIVE LINING TECHNOLOGIES CONTACT

Bruce Keys, General Manager, 0418 542 120, bkeys@altliner.com

ABERGELDIE COMPLEX INFRASTRUCTURE CONTACT

Cameron Neales, Delivery Manager, 0417 824 581, cneales@abergeldie.com

Abergeldie has 25 years’ industry experience and is a leading civil engineering contractor in Australia and New Zealand. Established in 1994, its experience extends to planning, design, delivery and maintenance of an extensive range of infrastructure services. It provides trenchless pipe rehabilitation solutions for the sewer, sewer main and water mains industry. Typical works include pipe inspection, pipe cleaning, pipe relining, pipe junction sealing and post CCTV inspections with support services such as environmental assessments, traffic control, flow control, manhole services and all related civil works.

PARTNERING

TO DELIVER ON GRADE, ON LINE, ON TIME

For family-owned company Shoota Drilling and Civil, safety and versatility are among the key features it looks for when procuring equipment to expand its fleet. Having tried different boring equipment and brands over his career, Steve Schut, Director at Shoota Drilling and Civil, has found that McLaughlin Auger Borers, a subsidiary of Vermeer, are among the best available, offering a solution that allows the company to complete a variety of projects on line and on grade.

Shoota Drilling and Civil offers a range of services, including case boring, concrete pipe jacking, shaft sinking, and drilling under rail, roads and creeks. It has the ability to drill at diameters ranging from 3001,800mm.

With access to a range of steering and rock heads for its fleet of McLaughlin Auger Borers, Shoota Drilling and Civil completes projects with a high degree of accuracy.

McLaughlin was purchased by Vermeer in 2017 and this acquisition builds on the Vermeer strategy to provide a comprehensive suite of vacuum excavation technology, equipment, training and support to the growing underground utility and soft dig markets.

One of the projects Shoota Drilling and Civil has recently completed using a McLaughlin Auger Borer involved installing pipes for orchards under the Sturt Highway near Griffith in New South Wales.

“The project involved installing two 1,450mm diameter steel casings side by side using the 54/60 McLaughlin auger boring machine,” Mr Schut said.

“These bores were completed to a length of 54m using the manual steering system to achieve an on line, on grade installation.”

VERSATILE AND SAFE

Mr Schut said that the company has four McLaughlin Auger Borers in its fleet, ranging from 300-1,800mm in diameter.

“We have achieved lengths of up to 120m in a 1200mm diameter using our McLaughlin Auger Borers,” Mr Schut said.

“We chose to use McLaughlin Auger Borers because they come with a range

of features that place them amongst the safest machines on the market, which is really important to us.

“They come with an electric hydraulic clutch that allows the operator to instantly release the trigger and make the machine stop if an unexpected obstacle in the bore path is hit.

“This isn’t a feature available in other machines I’ve used. Traditionally, these machines come with a dry clutch, so the reaction time of the machine is slower.

“I’ve also found other machines don’t have as many safety features built in to them that McLaughlin does.”

Mr Schut said the company also chose to invest in Vermeer-owned McLaughlin products because of their versatility, offering a variety of drilling options with hydraulic steering systems and hydraulic steerable rock heads available.

The Steerable Rock System (SRS) is the first steerable head designed for the auger boring market that allows operators to navigate solid rock, as well as difficult fractured rock conditions. It is designed to operate in rock up to 25,000 psi, while keeping bores on line and on grade.

There is also the option for the OnTarget Steering System (OTS) which is designed to work with any auger boring system ranging from 16-60 inches in diameter. It features a 50 gallon water tank and 6,500 psi hydraulic pump to provide easy maintenance of all hydraulic, water and electrical lines.

“I’ve used a lot of different types of machines over the years for case boring and I’ve found that McLaughlin make the most versatile machines that are on the market with outstanding safety features,” Mr Schut said.

“That’s why when we decided to go into business, we would be purchasing

nothing but McLaughlin auger boring machines.”

EXPANDING THE FLEET

Mr Schut said the company expands its capabilities and fleet as required, using both external contacts at McLaughlin – as well as parent company Vermeer – and in-house engineering to get the equipment needed.

“If we want to take on a job that we haven’t got the equipment for, we give Vermeer a ring and we get in touch with McLaughlin to find out what equipment they’ve got to offer us to complete the project,” Mr Schut said.

“We also do a vast array of engineering in our own engineering workshop to build equipment as well if there’s something we need.”

Mr Schut said being able to call upon the expertise of Vermeer and McLaughlin about equipment and to access spare parts have been among the factors contributing to the success of Shoota Drilling and Civil.

“The availability of spare parts has been one of the contributing factors to our success because it means there is minimal downtime, and we can get the machine back up and running quickly,” Mr Schut said.

“Their knowledge is also extremely valuable and they are always happy to help us with any questions we might have like those about running fluids and mud mixes. By having access to this kind of information we are able to achieve a successful outcome on a project.”

McLaughlin auger borers are available from Vermeer. To invest in equipment that gets the job done contact 1300 VERMEER or visit vermeer.com.au.

PIPA ASKS:

ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL BENEFITS OF PLASTIC PIPE BEING OVERLOOKED?

There is presently a great deal of community discussion over the problems associated with plastics in our environment. Rodger Connolly, Executive General Manager at the Plastics Industry Pipe Association (PIPA), offers the plastic pipe industry’s perspective.

China’s recent ban on the importation of plastic waste has brought the issue into sharp focus, with federal, state and local governments in Australia and across the world suddenly faced with a waste dilemma they have long been happy to export.

Pick up any newspaper or magazine and you’ll be overwhelmed by the environmental problems attributed to plastics; be it microplastics entering the food chain, the mountains of waste packaging clogging landfill, or images of marine mammals and birds choking on plastic flotsam.

Much of the debate focuses on the problems associated with the disposal of plastic waste and the small percentages that are being recycled, but plastics have become an integral part of modern living and weaning society off its dependence on these materials will not come without pain.

“It’s right that society is outraged, and action must be taken soon to stop and reverse the environmental damage from plastic waste,” Mr Connolly said.

“But in our haste to find a ‘fix’, we must not overlook the situations in which plastics are providing benefits to society; in particular, their application in our water, gas and electricity infrastructure. I’d like to think we can engage in a balanced debate and consider all the facts.”

Mr Connolly outlined the numerous benefits of plastic pipe systems:

• Plastic pipe systems have a service life of around 100 years, which is two or more times longer than alternate metallic and masonry pipes

• Independent Life Cycles Analyses consistently demonstrate that far less energy is consumed, and thus less carbon emitted, in the construction of plastic pipelines

• Plastic pipe systems massively reduce the loss of potable water from leakage

• The pumping energy required to transport water and sewage through smooth-bore plastics piping is a fraction of that through cracked, broken and tuberculated non-plastic pipes

• Plastic drainage and sewer pipe utilise waste plastics in their inner core layers, helping to reduce the pressure on landfill disposal

• Plastic stormwater pipes protect the natural pH of streams and estuarine environments, reducing the likelihood of algal blooms and fish kills

• The lighter weight of plastic pipe allows for faster built and more affordable infrastructure and housing

• Plastic pipe facilitates trenchless renovation of aging infrastructure, reducing utility’s costs and disruption to customer services

• Similarly, many thousands of kilometres of communications and electrical conduits are annually

drilled beneath streets with minimal disturbance to the assets above

• The flexibility and strain tolerance of plastic pipe minimises the failure of services in areas prone to seismic activity or mine subsidence

• The resins used to manufacture pipe do not contain toxic substances, like mercury, lead, cadmium, Bisphenol A or phthalates

• At the end of their first 100-year service life, plastic pipes are recyclable into new pipe products with an equivalent expected service life

A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION

“Because of the long life of plastic pipe, very little in percentage terms is currently going to landfill. This is a fact that was confirmed to us by a NSW Government audit report of construction and demolition waste,” Mr Connolly said.

“We acknowledge that as an industry we haven’t done a particularly good job of informing the public of our industry’s recycling efforts. For example, it’s not well known that more than 2,000 tonnes of PE pipe is recovered and recycled annually into non-potable irrigation pipes alone. This is predominantly sourced from abandoned mine sites and coal seam gas projects. In addition to that, around 650 tonnes of PVC is reprocessed into sandwich construction drainage pipe.

“Our major pipe producer members all have contracts with plastic recyclers to supply post-industrial and post-consumer scrap that supplements the supply of recyclate from their own collection centres. The PIPA website lists drop-off centres where the public can deposit clean scrap to avoid dumping levies.

“But we do need to be selective regarding the products in which this material is used. For example, pressure pipes cannot contain recyclate because of the stringent Australian product standard requirements for pressure and contact with drinking water specifications.”

Mr Connolly confirmed that PIPA recognises the environmental damage being wrought by discarded plastics, especially through the overuse of packaging and single-use water bottles.

His association’s members are acutely aware of the community focus on plastic products and their social licence to operate, but he strongly asserts that pipe is a responsible and smart use of the material; maintaining the only similarity between plastic pipes and drinking straws is their shape.

MICROTUNNELLING

How can you make safety a priority on pipeline projects?

It is not uncommon to see old equipment still being used by contractors throughout the country on construction sites. While this equipment may still get the job done, it can pose serious safety concerns as it may not be equipped with the latest safety features.

While making sure safe practices are followed is important, just as important is using equipment with the latest built-in safety features to ensure that workers get home to their families at the end of the day.

AN EYE ON SAFETY

Microtunnelling sites can be dangerous with workers not only working near heavy equipment, but also the open pit where installation takes place.

Compared to open cut methods of pipeline installation, microtunnelling requires much less excavation to take place, making is a safer option. However, there are still hazards as there is a risk of materials falling into the pit and hurting workers.

The AXIS laser-guided boring system was designed with these risks in mind to provide a superior level of operator safety compared to other microtunnelling equipment on the market.

There are safety features unique to this machine that no other

microtunnelling machine on the market comes with such as the Falling Object Protective System (FOPS) safety enclosure.

The operator can stay in the FOPS safety enclosure for the duration of the drill and be fully protected from their surrounding environment. This means they are protected from above should anything fall into the pit, as they aren’t exposed to the outside environment.

The FOPS safety enclosure has been rigorously tested to ensure it can stand the real-world conditions of a construction site, with tests showing heavy equipment such as drill rods can fall onto it from as high as ten metres without showing signs of damage.

ALERTING OPERATORS OF CHANGES

Another safety feature unique to the AXIS is the inclusion of gages –including a vacuum gauge equipped at the rear of the machine – to alert the operator to condition changes so they can stop the drill to assess the situation and make sure it is safe to proceed.

The information they feed direct to the operator on changes in ground pressure can alert them to potential upcoming hazards such as contact with a trench that could be housing live wires, which haven’t been located by utility locating services.

ABOUT STUART HARRISON

In addition to the pressure gages, the AXIS has an in-built strike alert mechanism that will notify the operator should the drill come in contact with a power cable and become live.

By alerting the operator the machine has become live, they can safely remain in the machine until the power source has been deactivated and it is safe to exit.

This advanced safety technology is one of the real benefits of using the AXIS machine.

KEEPING SAFETY FRONT OF MIND

Safety is not only a concern for contractors, but also utilities and other asset owners who are interested in reducing the risk of injury on job sites.

At the end of the day, it’s in everyone’s best interests to prevent any accidents or injuries occurring on site, so contractors with the ability to show their commitment to safety through their practices and equipment will have an advantage over those using older equipment.

The reality is, newer equipment will have more safety features included and it is important that all contractors across the country step up to the standard by updating their equipment and safety procedures.

Global microtunnelling pioneer Stuart Harrison is the Managing Director of Edge Underground, where he specialises in on-grade microtunnelling installations with millimetre accuracy.

Stuart is also the inventor of the Vermeer AXIS Guided Boring system, and he is constantly working to improve the effectiveness of this and other trenchless systems used in the installation of gravity sewers.

To discuss your next microtunnelling installation, contact Stuart on 1300 JACKED or at stuart@edgeunderground.co

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities available and selling fast

Go to www.en2020.com.au to find out how you can get involved.

Registration opens

October 2019

www.EN2020.com.au

MAY 2020

AUGUST 2020

NOVEMBER 2020

Water Industry Operations Conference & Exhibitions 2020

WIOA stages annual conferences in NSW, Queensland and Victoria, providing a forum for individuals involved in water operations to:

• Listen and learn from the experience of others through the latest “operational” technical and research based information provided in platform and poster presentations.

• View and discuss the latest advances in technical equipment, products and services with equipment manufacturers, suppliers and industry consultants

• Update their knowledge and skills through interaction with fellow water industry employees.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Available

All personnel involved in the operation and maintenance of urban, rural and industrial water related infrastructure for the management, conveyance, treatment, discharge and reuse of water and trade wastes should attend these conferences. www.wioaconferences.org.au

Take advantage of the opportunity to position your company as a leader in water management by aligning your company as a supporter of the leading industry association serving the needs of operators in the water industry. For more information on exhibiting or sponsorship, visit the conference website.

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