Thought Leadership

Entura’s Technical Director (Water), Richard Herweynen, recently attended the 2025 ICOLD Congress in Chengdu, China, themed ‘Common Challenges, Shared Future, Better Dams’. Here he shares his observations on the state of play in the international dams industry – and the opportunities emerging with artificial intelligence and automation. My first ICOLD Congress was in Beijing, China […]

Major power outage events, like the one that affected Spain and Portugal this April, can be enormously disruptive and even deadly. Here Entura’s Technical Director Power, Donald Vaughan, considers the complex factors at play and their implications for grids everywhere ... The recent power outage on the Iberian Peninsula provides a serious opportunity for reflection. […]

All good things come to an end – even big battery energy storage systems (BESS). In Australia, the end of life for BESS may feel very distant, since we’re really only in the infancy of the booming BESS industry; however, the life expectancy of these big batteries is nothing like the design life of other […]

No dam is ‘maintenance free’. Without appropriate maintenance and refurbishment at the right times, a dam may not be able to fulfil its function safely for the full length of its design life (which could be more than a century). This presents many challenges for asset owners. To keep the dam operating as the designer […]

With the evolution of modern inverter and renewable energy technologies, it’s become possible to build microgrids with very high renewable penetration. These renewable solutions are revolutionising electricity sustainability, reliability and access in many far-flung locations – such as Pacific islands, remote locations around Australia, and on mining sites.   High renewable penetration allows operators of off-grid […]

The alternating current (AC) transmission age started in 1891 through collaboration and perseverance. This transmission method has transformed the world, led us to the brink (or over the brink) of a climate disaster, and provides the backbone for a future founded on abundant renewable resources (in Australia, at least). Collaboration and perseverance are now required […]

Entura’s Amanda Ashworth (Managing Director) and Richard Herweynen (Technical Director, Water) recently attended the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD) 2024 Annual Meeting and International Symposium, held in New Delhi. Amanda presented on building dam safety capability, skills and competencies, while Richard presented on Hydro Tasmania’s risk-based, systems approach to dam safety management, and the importance of […]

Entura’s Senior Principal Hydropower, Flavio Campos, knows hydropower inside out. Flavio has recently joined Entura, after working around the world on significant hydropower projects ranging from 30 MW to a whopping 8,240 MW. We asked him to share some of his hydropower journey, what excites him about the future of the sector, and what’s different about conventional […]

Small dams may pose significant business risks that are often under-appreciated, even if these dams don’t pose a safety risk to the community. Managing risk is a key part of running any sustainable business and understanding how to mitigate risks requires that they are properly identified, analysed and evaluated. The Guidelines on Risk Assessment prepared […]

Dams, like all of us, go through several life stages. Some dams have harder lives. Some age more quickly. Some need a lot of attention, and some are more robust. Let’s talk a bit about a dam’s life – and revisit some of our previous articles on dam engineering. Phase 1: Inception The starting point […]

Technical due diligence (TDD) for a renewable energy project evaluates the risks and opportunities associated with the project to establish its technical and financial viability, compliance with regulations, and other factors influencing its value. TDD is fundamentally a well-understood risk assessment process, with practitioners typically having templates they can tailor to specific projects and client […]

For power and water developments to be truly sustainable, we must preserve and protect biodiversity. But it can be difficult to look after what you don’t know about or don’t understand. In the age of Big Data, automation, AI and increasingly clever gadgets, field ecologists can now do more with less – in other words, […]

Power systems in the range of 200–500 MW face unique challenges, including how to incorporate increasing amounts of intermittent inverter-based renewable energy, such as solar PV and wind generation. What are these challenges, and how can they be solved?  Large power systems, like the interconnected grid of the eastern Australian states, are well-understood. These systems […]

In the booming global solar industry, installation of bifacial panels has been rapidly overtaking conventional monofacial modules, particularly in utility-scale projects but increasingly at smaller scales (<5 MW) too. But are they the right technical investment for your solar project – and what do you need to consider? We recommend getting to grips with the […]

The future isn’t what it used to be. The future we now expect is one of even more intense rainfall. What can we do about it?  In Australia, there is now expected to be a 41–88 % increase in intense rainfall assuming a fossil-fuel development emission scenario by 2090, working from a 1961–90 climate base. In […]

From Baby Boomers to Gen Alpha, the generation names and characteristics come and go – but despite the changing working styles and preferences of older and younger engineers, some things stay the same. Developing good engineers still calls for many elements that have shaped countless careers over time: people who were willing to share their […]

The wind industry, well-established in Europe for decades, took baby steps onto Australian soil in the late 1980s and 1990s. By the early 2000s, Australia’s new wind industry was ready to take off. Given that wind farms usually have a design life of anywhere between 15 and 30 years, our earliest wind farms are now […]

Dams are critical infrastructure for water supply, irrigation, energy production, flood protection, or multiple purposes. They are usually designed to last at least 100 years, yet with good maintenance and appropriate dam safety practices, dams can continue to perform as designed for centuries. But what about climate change? The circumstances in which a dam operates […]

This article reflects on a panel discussion chaired by Ray Massie at the Energy and Mines Australia Summit 2023, which you can read more about here. The discussion about powering mines with renewable energy has moved a long way in a short time. As the imperative to go green has escalated, the mining sector has […]

This article is based on a recent presentation by Richard Lindqvist, a data integration specialist with Entura, at the ANCOLD Tailings Dam Operators Forum 2023. Richard describes the need, opportunities and barriers to adoption of advanced monitoring systems. Tailings facilities are crucial for preventing any spread of mine tailings into surrounding land and waterways. Some […]

The relationship between India and Australia goes far beyond our nations’ mutual love of cricket. We have deep people-to-people connections that have been formed over generations. At the beginning of the 20th century, around 7000 people of Indian descent lived in Australia. Now, Indian-born Australians number more than 750,000 – a number that has doubled […]

I have just ‘returned’ from the World Wind Energy Conference 2023, held just down the road from Entura’s Hobart office. At the conference there was an overwhelming sense that the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables is well underway and the era of coal-fired power generation is coming to a close. This has been […]

The clean energy transition is set to create millions of new renewable energy jobs worldwide. It will, however, also bring major change for workers and communities who currently depend on carbon-intensive industries. This leads to two major challenges: how can the clean energy sector find enough skilled workers to enable the mammoth task ahead of […]

Understanding the behaviour of water as it flows in natural and constructed environments is fundamental to designing and managing many civil assets, and integral to reducing risk and cost in water infrastructure projects. Water is such an intrinsic part of our lives that we all have a good observational understanding of what water is and […]

The rapid transformation of the energy sector is exciting and ripe with opportunities. Inevitably, it also involves a level of complexity and a range of uncertainties. Phrases such as ‘decarbonising the future’, ‘net zero emissions’ and ‘energy security’ feature in almost every energy transition seminar, but what do they really mean when it comes to […]

Entura’s Technical Director Power, Donald Vaughan, presented a paper at the global CIGRE Symposium in Cairns, Queensland in September 2023. This is a short summary of the outcomes of the analysis presented in his paper, regarding the value and roles of conventional hydropower, pumped hydro and battery energy storage as the power system transitions to […]

At the recent ICOLD meeting in Gothenburg, Sweden, dam engineering experts from across the globe came together to share knowledge, discuss trends and issues, and engage with each other. One important topic of discussion was the role of dams in the international response to climate change and what that will mean for the dams industry. […]

Compared with other clean energy technologies, hydropower is a long-distance runner. Many hydropower facilities have an expected lifespan of up to a century. An increasing challenge, however, is that many of these facilities are already well progressed on their life journey. With much of the world’s hydropower fleet already at or beyond mid-life, effective asset […]

In an already water-stressed world and a rapidly changing climate, water is increasingly precious. To manage and control this vital resource, we must create and maintain safe, reliable and sustainable water infrastructure – and such a challenge calls for good planning. The International Commission on Large Dams is working towards releasing new guidance for water […]

With projects and operations, like life, knowledge is power – the power to make informed decisions and manage risk. That knowledge can be gained in different ways, at different costs, and at different stages of a project. In an era of ever-more-sophisticated digital tools, how do we decide what’s best for the project? The understanding […]

The old adage of ‘a company’s greatest assets are its people’ is never more true than in an emergency situation. The success of any emergency plan depends upon the skills, training and willingness of the people involved. It also relies on robust emergency preparation that takes as many scenarios as possible into account, and builds […]

Modelling has a very important role in every sphere of engineering. Complex mathematic models help us better predict and understand behaviours and performance so that we can solve technical problems, push the boundaries of applied science, and optimise construction and manufacturing. We use finite element models (FEM) to determine the forces, stresses and deflections of […]

In 2000, a major report by the World Commission on Dams shone a spotlight on large dams. At that time, some people argued that smaller, run-of-river hydropower could be a more sustainable solution than large dams with large reservoirs. Is this true? And is it still relevant more than twenty years on? Run-of-river hydropower projects […]

The construction of large dams may be controversial, particularly if the social and environmental impacts appear to outweigh the benefits. How can we create the right kind of dams in the right places to deliver maximum benefit with minimal impact? I recently watched Franklin, a documentary in which eighth-generation Tasmanian and environmentalist Oliver Cassidy retraces […]

Entura’s Rajeev Raina, Resident Director India, discusses the challenges of hydropower developments in South East and East Asia, as well as how these are being overcome. This video is part of a broader discussion about the role of hydropower in a changing renewables landscape, lifted from an Entura webinar to celebrate Global Hydropower Day on […]

Entura’s Donald Vaughan, Technical Director, Power, discusses the role of hydropower in deep storage, and how this will become increasingly important in a future renewables landscape. This clip is lifted from an Entura webinar to celebrate Global Hydropower Day on October 11, 2022, where our Technical Leaders and Executive Team came together to discuss the […]

Dr Amanda Ashworth, Entura’s Director of Strategy, Sales and Commercial, discusses the role that hydropower plays in the race to net zero. This discussion took place during the webinar held by Entura to celebrate Global Hydropower Day on 11 October 2022, where our Executive Team and Technical Leaders came together to explore the future of […]

Throughout the renewable energy sector, there are plenty of examples where decisions made during the planning and procurement phases have caused difficulty during construction and affected future operations. A smoother construction process is to everyone’s advantage – avoiding cost blow-outs and time over-runs, and a lot of unnecessary stress and sweat. An experienced Owner’s Engineer […]

The planning and approvals system is complex, and its potential impact on the cost, timeframe and overall success of your renewable energy or storage project should never be underestimated. Investing time and energy in planning for project approvals makes it more likely that your project will get off the drawing board and into reality. The […]

Access to quality long-term records is crucial for dam safety. Read what our specialists have to say about keeping your records under control. The ANCOLD (Australian National Committee on Large Dams) guideline on dam safety management recommends regular reviews on different timescales – including routine inspections undertaken by the operator (daily to monthly), intermediate inspections […]

Conducting field investigations in remote areas is no ‘walk in the park’. On top of the investigation activities themselves, there are the complex logistics of getting personnel and equipment into hard-to-reach places, the imperatives of maintaining safety and managing community expectations, and the significant challenge of conducting works but leaving minimal impact on the landscape. ‘Leave […]

One contributing factor for dam safety is the ability to rapidly lower the water level in an emergency. But how can dam designers and owners appropriately determine the need for a dewatering outlet or its optimum size in the absence of a consistent international standard?  Dam safety must begin long before the dam is filled […]

With the current bow wave in publicly announced emerging and committed storage, wind and solar farms in Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM), it is now more important than ever that your connection application processes are rigorous and efficient. This article charts a path of least resistance within the framework of the Australian Energy Market Operator […]

In previous thought leadership articles, we’ve argued that the downstream consequence of dam failure is a better measure of dam risk than the size of the dam. For example, saddle dams can often have significant consequences downstream, despite being smaller than the main dam. The same applies to cofferdams. A cofferdam is a temporary dam that […]

Everyone in the energy industry is talking about green hydrogen, and the buzz just keeps on growing.  It’s been clearly demonstrated technically that with an adequate supply of water and renewable energy, green hydrogen can be produced through electrolysis for local use or for export – with no associated emissions. The role for green hydrogen […]

How can owners or developers assess alternative options for hydropower and dam projects objectively and consistently? How can you maintain an appropriate balance among the environmental, social, financial and technical risks? If you place a value on the non-cost aspects of projects, how can you confidently assess the many criteria that your project options bring […]

Depending on when and where you want to connect your new solar farm or wind farm, the network service provider or your consultant may tell you that you’ll need a synchronous condenser. That may not be good news, because these machines don’t come cheap and they usually don’t provide a direct revenue stream. What should you do next?

When a dam is being considered, there’s usually a primary purpose. But are there also secondary purposes that can benefit the local and wider community? Have you thought about the potential additional economic development that can stem from a multipurpose dam?  Multipurpose dams combine two or more functions of traditional single-purpose dams into one dam […]

In remote or isolated locations, hybrid renewable energy systems offer an effective option for meeting energy goals. With the plummeting costs of solar PV and its ease of installation, is there still a role for wind turbines in the design of a hybrid system? Our answer is yes; however, there are a number of factors to consider when choosing the best configuration for your location and needs.

While some aspects of fieldwork can be modified through technological innovation, there are other things that simply can’t be done without getting out on the ground or in the water. How can we make fieldwork not only efficient and effective, but also COVID-safe?

It’s a major challenge to keep an existing local project running during these tricky times (let alone an interstate or international project!), but how can we start new projects as the ground shifts around us and as regulations around Australia change?

There are very few areas in the consulting life in which we can simply say ‘we’ll wait until this is all over’. Life, and projects, must go on. Here, Entura’s Environment and Planning team continue to apply their proactive approach to keeping projects alive in the current circumstances, and explain how they are continuing their activities on two international projects despite the travel restrictions that are making it impossible to visit the project sites.

A vital part of the success of all projects, whether they are new or operational, is maintaining progress towards milestones and retaining currency in the social and regulatory realms. How can we achieve this during a global pandemic?

For your pumped hydro project to be suited to future energy market conditions, you need to understand the technology options available – because pumped hydro plant is not one-size-fits-all.

When engineers think about the future, do we get so engrossed in the complex technical problems that we don’t attend enough to the human angle?

How can a small island become a giant battery for a nation? We’re finding the answers in increasing interconnection, developing new pumped hydro and repurposing our existing hydropower assets.

Even a single day of load shedding makes people doubt the national grid’s robustness. How will the grid cope if we experience extreme weather conditions more often?

Beyond the typical images of blue water, white sand and sunny days, many Pacific islands are becoming visions of renewable energy innovation ...

Examples from around the world demonstrate the devastating consequences of dam failures. Safety must be every dam owner’s key concern, but how should action be prioritised across a large portfolio of dams?

New functionality, increased visibility of plant, greater security … SCADA systems are rapidly advancing. So, should you stick with what you have, upgrade some components, or embrace a complete replacement?

Integrating renewables into grids and markets is a hot topic worldwide, with many challenges and approaches to explore...

In the hydropower sector, we’re all trying to do more with less. And as hydropower assets age, there’s always more to be done...

The failure of a dam in July 2018 in Laos highlights again how crucial it is that dams are designed, constructed and operated safely – regardless of their size...

To keep communities and assets safe during flood events, dam operators need to make rapid and difficult decisions. The best protection is having the right systems in place before an emergency arises...

Renewables are now the cheapest form of new energy generation, but to make variable renewables ‘dispatchable’, we need to add storage...

Although hydropower is older than wind and solar generation and battery storage, its role in Australia and around the world has never been more important...

How can a wind farm realise its full lifetime potential in an increasingly cost-sensitive market?

Building, maintaining and operating power and water assets involves a level of environmental risk. If you can identify and manage these risks early, your projects or operations are far less likely to run into trouble down the track...

Sedimentation is a problem for water storages, particularly in Asia. It is a major concern for all communities and industries that depend on water storages for water, food and energy security...

Anyone who’s ever had a cold understands the discomfort of blocked airways. Congestion challenges, albeit slightly different ones, also face developers of new renewable energy generation...

Whether on-grid or off-grid, hybrid renewable energy systems offer exciting potential for achieving a sustainable and reliable power supply...

Effective engagement can reduce community opposition to a solar farm, but, better yet, it has the potential to create a level of community support that results in locals themselves promoting it...

There are many thousands of potential sites for pumped hydro energy storage developments across Australia, but how can a developer filter these down to the best few?

Ambitious renewables targets, movements away from thermal generation, increasing demand for electricity … it’s boom time for renewables around the world. Yet the global energy transformation brings some challenges...

As Australia replaces retiring coal generation with renewables, can we achieve an energy future that is affordable and sustainable as well as reliable?

Big investments require confidence – however, caution in unlocking funds is perfectly reasonable. A thorough due diligence is the key to building investment confidence by identifying and quantifying the project’s risks, costs and benefits...

Cities in flood-prone areas have much to gain from effective flood forecasting, because they have so much to lose through flood damage to property and business...

Location, location, location!’ It’s a familiar catch-phrase in the real estate industry, but it’s just as relevant in the power and water sector...

As the proportion of renewable energy in the grid continues to grow, pumped hydro energy storage offers a solution for greater reliability. But can the business case for storage stack up?

Flood forecasting is critical for protecting infrastructure and public safety.

Technology and expectations are constantly evolving for the dam engineer but the ultimate goal remains the same: safe, lasting dams. Are you fully equipped to make that target a reality?

Installing a SCADA system is a major outlay. With the ever-increasing pace of technological change, how can you ensure your new system or upgrade will repay your investment and deliver maximum benefits?

Big data and advances in artificial intelligence hold extraordinary potential for transforming the energy sector. But is change in the wind sector likely to be transformational, or can we expect only incremental performance improvement?

On any large-scale renewable energy project, every opportunity to reduce costs counts...

As the global population continues to grow, how can utilities and water managers balance the increasing and interrelated pressures on water, energy and food?

A sustainable grid needs sustainable energy sources. While there’s no doubt that it makes sense to store renewable energy, whether in batteries or in a pumped hydro scheme, just how sustainable are these technologies?

Climate change presents major risks for power and water businesses. To best prepare for the impacts of extreme or changing weather conditions, asset managers need to act now to build climate resilience into operations and ongoing risk management...

Dams, water courses and water bodies typically offer a range of recreational benefits enjoyed by many. But where there’s water, there’s inherent danger...

Two very different storage technologies – one old, one new; one that takes years to build, one that can be built ‘within 100 days (or it’s free)’. How else do they differ, and is there a place for both?

Global declines in water storage are increasingly troubling. With greater hydrological variability due to climate change, more storage will be vital to provide the same level of security of water, food and energy...

If you are planning to generate some of your own electricity, such as through a few wind turbines or a small solar farm, you’ll need to know about islanding...

The potential for successful large-scale solar in Australia is enormous, but problems with financing can spell death for your project...

As the network continues to incorporate increasing levels of inverter-based asynchronous generation such as wind and solar, connection standards in the weakening grid are tighter than ever before...

The issues and trends we’re seeing playing out right now relating to hydropower and the clean energy sector are not unique to our region...

Is designing a solar farm child’s play… a simple matter of snapping some Lego together? Not if you’re after maximum efficiency, operability and value...

With energy reliability a hot topic in Australia, eyes are now turning to pumped storage hydropower… but what has been holding it back?

Like many stories of island journeys, the pursuit of high levels of renewable energy in the Pacific involves good planning and skilled navigation to stay safe and on course, and holds the promise of rich rewards...

For dam owners, measuring the right things in the right locations is essential for a successful dam safety program...

Planning regimes for large-scale infrastructure are rarely simple. Investing time and energy in planning for project approvals makes it more likely that your solar project will succeed...

Pumped storage hydropower projects are a natural fit in an energy market with high penetration of renewable energy as they help to maximise the use of the renewables that are subject to the vagaries of the weather...

Not fully understanding the geological conditions is one of the biggest risks in a hydropower project, and can lead to large cost blow-outs, major repairs and even public safety issues...

A portfolio risk assessment allows owners of dams and other water assets to see the bigger picture of how to prioritise their efforts and resources to achieve the best safety result across their whole portfolio...

With 2020 and its renewable energy targets fast approaching, the race is on to deploy renewable energy developments in Australia. Efficient and right-sized grid connection can get projects moving quickly and...

Perhaps the greatest gift to any agricultural region is increased certainty of reliable, available water...

In recent years, India has emerged as a world leader in renewable energy and this growth is presenting opportunities for businesses looking to diversify their activities.

Can our network and market frameworks support two to three times more renewables in Australia in the next ten to fifteen years without radical or innovative actions?

If you are planning a utility-scale solar development, how can you avoid the potential pitfalls and maximise success?

So, you want to develop a hydropower project? Any hydropower development is a major undertaking, so you need to be sure you get it right...

Safety risks around high-voltage electrical assets are far from trivial, particularly those risks associated with earthing hazards during construction activities...

What do you need to know to minimise your risk and maximise the value of your commercial-scale solar and storage system?

There is banter doing the rounds of social media: One person asks, ‘What if we develop our people and they leave?’ The retort that quickly follows is, ‘What if we don’t develop our people and they stay?’

What value can you derive for renewable energy projects through developing accurate models?

How can distribution network service providers best take advantage of the emerging opportunities presented by...

All power and water projects involve risks. The key to project success and sustainability is being able to...

The right data and analysis could unearth new strategies to get more from your infrastructure, and that’s too good an opportunity to miss...

For power and water businesses, information is one of the most valuable assets. But good data you can’t find or use is a wasted opportunity...

Like having a pile of puzzle pieces but no box, are you drowning in data but unsure what it is telling you about your power and water assets?

The security of an electricity network is threatened by the rise of sophisticated controls on modern generating equipment. These controls lead to complex interactions with the electricity network and must be managed carefully to...

An arc flash is one of the greatest dangers electrical workers face, with potentially tragic consequences...

Whether your focus is on a single dam or a whole portfolio, a risk assessment process helps you decide how best to intervene, and when, to get the maximum improvement...

The measures taken to address safety risks at the underground Rouna 2 hydropower station in Papua New Guinea offer a timely reminder of the basic requirements for adequately managing safety risks...

Hydropower stations can pose significant safety risks to those who work in them, but there is no excuse for injury or death in our workplaces...

Because electricity has inherent risks with serious consequences, safety should always be a fundamental concern of consultants and clients...

An effective flood forecasting system is a vital tool for managing the significant risks that floods pose to communities, infrastructure and the environment...

As the electricity sector is revolutionised by new distributed generation and storage, can all the players survive?

Almost every day, somewhere in the world, floods are putting lives at risk and causing major damage and financial impacts to...

Asking ‘what is the best dam type for my dam site?’ is a key question in the early stages of planning a dam project. A number of dam types are being used around the world, such as...

A lot of the talk about the ‘death spiral’ in the demand for electricity from the grid in Australia has centred on the distribution end of the equation and the downside or asset risk associated with ‘disruptive’ technologies such as solar PV and storage...

The remote Ok Menga hydropower station in the Western Province of PNG is vital to the operation of the Ok Tedi mine. It offers an example of just how expensive it can be when ageing power stations deteriorate and become increasingly unreliable

The Grattan Institute’s recently released report ‘Sundown, sunrise’ observes that household solar PV will soon be cost-competitive under existing tariff structures...

When you are considering investing in a renewable energy project, a thorough due diligence investigation can identify the costs, benefits and risks, and lead to well-informed decisions...

Climate change poses new uncertainties and risks to power and water asset developers, operators and financiers, in addition to the challenges already facing these sectors. Higher temperatures, changes in water availability and rainfall, more frequent and severe weather events, and natural disasters may pose threats to...

Hydropower stations, like all technology or infrastructure, won’t stay efficient, reliable or safe without regular and ongoing attention...

Many countries are experiencing huge increases in distributed generation. Utilities are wondering whether it's a blessing or a curse

Dam safety is a crucial aspect of modern dam building. Ensuring the safety of existing dams is a key concern of any dam owner, whether the dam is for generating power...

Hydropower is increasingly becoming a major source of renewable energy for emerging markets throughout Asia. Managing the not-so-obvious risks associated with developing and operating hydropower schemes is often a key challenge in securing project finance and gaining or maintaining a social licence to operate. “Power projects, especially in developing countries, are increasingly scrutinised by international […]

Remote area power systems that integrate renewable energy sources such as solar and wind with storage or diesel backup are increasingly allowing remote communities to become more self-sufficient and sustainable...

In many developing nations, governments and utilities are scrambling to bring much-needed power to their people and industries to improve quality of life and...