Supporting a secure power supply for the Territory's future
Published: June 2, 2016 - Updated: July 19, 2017
Power and Water Corporation is responsible for electricity transmission and distribution as well as water and sewerage services to an estimated 243,700 people across more than 1.3 million square kilometres of the Northern Territory.
The main switchboard (MSB) at the Hudson Creek System Control facility was built and commissioned in 1987. A recent preventative maintenance investigation identified components which had become superseded and should they fail, would require shutdown of the substation to integrate replacement hardware. Updates to electrical drawings and a need to meet increased power demand were also highlighted as priorities.
SAGE Automation was engaged to replace the existing MSB, including the control system for standby power in emergencies, and provide new electrical documentation to support the current status of the system control facility moving forward.
PWC Facilities Manager Graeme Carloss explains why this work is important.
“Having updated equipment, controls and associated documentation, significantly reduces our risk of downtime for System Control and assists in
securing power generation and distribution across the entire Northern Territory into the future.”
Project Outcomes
- Installation of 1MW genset
- Meeting a tight cut-over schedule with zero downtime to power supply
- Ability to meet the expanding power requirements of this community into the future
- Ensure the servicability of plant equipment an technology
- Supply monitoring and automatic switching of supplies
- SMS alarming for standby generator faults
- Provision of ongoing maintenance and support of standby generator sets
Capabilities Demonstrated
- Functional description design
- PLC and SCADA programming
- CAD electrical schematics design
- Control panel construction
- Factory Acceptance Testing
- Installation, commissioning, cutover and reinstatement
- Site Acceptance Testing
- Full documentation and operator manual Ongoing 24/7 service support
Technology Utilised
- PLC - Allen Bradley MicroLogix 1400
- HMI - Allen Bradley PanelView Plus6 1000
- SCADA - Allen Bradley FactoryTalkView
- Sephco AutoLoad 500kW Load Bank
- Remote Alarm Notification - EDAC SMS Modem
- Communication to Cummins generator via RS485 and LON communication protocol
To find out more about Power and Water Corporation, please visit www.powerwater.com.au