Entura completes Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project Technical Feasibility Study
Specialist power and water consulting firm Entura has completed the Technical Feasibility Study (TFS) for Genex Power’s Kidston Pumped Storage Hydropower Project in North Queensland, Australia.
The TFS concludes that all of the key risks identified at the pre-feasibility stage, and any additional risks identified during the study, have been appropriately mitigated or addressed through detailed design augmentation and optimisation undertaken by Entura and project partner HydroChina.
“Much of the work undertaken by Entura was focussed on optimising the project to achieve a design which is technically and commercially feasible,” said Genex Power Managing Director Michael Addison.
“Following a thorough investigation, a preferred configuration has been determined and the project is now fully designed from a technical feasibility perspective, including the civil works program and detailed mechanical equipment specifications.”
Entura Project Director and Principal Consultant, Civil Engineering Richard Herweynen said that a number of project size options ranging from 200 MW to 450 MW were developed as part of the TFS.
“Following detailed market studies undertaken by Genex and its financial consultants to assess the pricing and revenue impacts of the various options considered, it was determined that a 250MW scheme with six hours of continuous generation, totalling 1,500 MWh of energy storage capacity, would be the optimal size,” explained Mr Herweynen.
“Pumped storage hydropower has the potential to generate rapid response, flexible power for delivery into the National Electricity Market. It is a highly efficient form of large-scale energy storage that could help mitigate challenges that may come with the introduction of more wind and solar power into the market.”
Genex and Entura continue to engage with a number of highly experienced and well recognised EPC Contractors and Generator/Turbine Suppliers to develop the anticipated capex estimates. Formal competitive tender processes will be undertaken over the course of the next phase of the project development.
The Australian energy market has evolved significantly since the initial inception of the Kidston Pumped Storage Hydropower Project. Further significant evolution in the market is expected as generation mixes shift from traditional fossil fuel generation towards increases in large scale renewable energy generation.
There is a critical need for large scale energy storage, at an affordable cost, to balance the penetration of large scale renewable energy generation into Australia’s National Electricity Market.
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. Pumped storage provides a load when the wind is blowing and the sun is shining, and it also provides a source of energy when the sun has set and the wind has dropped.
Entura has worked with clients in more than 30 countries over the past few decades – including India, Laos, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, South Africa and Tajikistan – assisting with developing, operating and maintaining hydropower assets of all sizes. The firm has also been involved in more than 100 advanced and operational wind farm projects in Australia and internationally, supporting development, renewables grid integration and connection studies.
The full ASX announcement about the completion of the TFS is available here.
Entura appointed to support wind development in Sri Lanka
Specialist power and water consulting firm Entura has been appointed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to support Ceylon Electricity Board’s (CEB) wind development activities in Sri Lanka’s Mannar district.
Located in the north-western part of Sri Lanka, the wind resource-rich Mannar district comprises mainland Mannar and the 130 km2 Mannar Island. The area is considered one of the best wind sites in Sri Lanka and an initial assessment identified a potential of 375 MW of wind power to be developed.
CEB will initially build and operate the 100 MW Mannar Island wind farm and develop the remaining potential of the region in phases.
Entura’s scope is to assist CEB with completing their feasibility study on the 100 MW wind farm project and lead the due-diligence in support of ADB’s loan approval process. Further, Entura will identify potential for future wind farm development in the region, explore solutions for integration with CEB’s network, and prepare CEB for potential Public Private Partnerships on future wind farm projects.
The project team includes experts in technical, legal and commercial aspects of wind power development, and draws on Entura’s strong partnerships internationally and in Sri Lanka.
Commenting on the project, Entura Managing Director Tammy Chu said: “We’re pleased to be partnering with ADB and CEB to support the development of new renewable energy generation in Sri Lanka.”
“Sri Lanka has tremendous potential for renewable energy generation and it is great to see the country’s commitment to developing this potential in a structured manner, considering the challenges to integrate new generation to the electricity grid, and planning to develop capability in its people to support the industry.”
Entura has more than 20 years of experience in wind farm development, renewables grid integration and connection studies both in Australia and internationally. The firm has been involved in more than 100 advanced and operational wind farm projects totalling more than 20 000 MW in Australia, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, China, the Philippines, New Zealand and the Pacific.
Sarawak Energy engages Entura to further develop hydropower capability
Specialist power and water consulting firm Entura has been appointed by Sarawak’s vertically integrated utility and power development company Sarawak Energy to deliver a comprehensive hydropower training program to more than 130 employees over the next 18 months.
The training will be delivered through the Entura clean energy and water institute to a broad range of employees, from administration staff through to operators and engineers.
“Our people are our most valuable asset and we’re committed to investing in their development as we work to achieve sustainable growth and prosperity for Sarawak by meeting the region’s need for reliable, renewable energy,” said Ir Polycarp HF Wong, Sarawak Energy’s Vice President for Hydro.
“Currently Sarawak’s generation mix is at 75% hydro with the remainder from thermal sources of coal and gas. With the commissioning of Murum HEP (944MW) and more hydropower projects in the pipeline, it is imperative for Sarawak Energy to develop a more skilled workforce to develop, safely operate and maintain our hydropower assets.”
The training program design is being finalised this week in Kuching to enable implementation to start later in October. Knowledge transfer will be at the heart of the program to ensure Sarawak Energy’s in-house trainers have the right knowledge and skills to take the training forward.
“We’re delighted to be partnering with Sarawak Energy to share our asset owner expertise and help develop their people,” said Dr Amanda Ashworth, Entura clean energy and water institute Business Manager.
“Integrating learning and development into business planning and operations is one way to ensure that capability development programs are designed in the context of strategy and initiatives, workforce planning, operational plans, functional structures and mechanisms, and risk management activities,” explained Dr Ashworth.
“Leading utilities around the world are starting to see the need to invest in the development of their people as well as their systems and processes to help ensure implementation of sound business strategy and Sarawak Energy is leading the way in the region.”
Entura has had a successful working relationship with Sarawak Energy over the last eight years, supporting its capacity and capability development goals through secondments, knowledge transfer during consultancy projects, and formal theory and practice training.
The Entura clean energy and water institute delivers training in hydropower, wind, solar and water management. Its courses are tailored to upskill businesses, particularly asset owners, in clean energy technologies and water management.
An accredited training organisation in Australia, the Entura clean energy and water institute collaborates with the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok and Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Kuala Lumpur, to deliver specialised courses in the south and south-east Asian region. AIT is working with Entura in the initial phase of Sarawak Energy’s training program.
Entura completes Suma Park Dam upgrade in New South Wales
Specialist power and water consulting firm Entura has recently completed the Suma Park Dam upgrade in New South Wales, Australia, after developing an innovative solution to increase the height of the dam wall by three metres while maintaining regular operations.
Suma Park Dam is a 30.5m-high single-curvature concrete-arch dam near Orange, central New South Wales. Entura was engaged by Orange City Council in 2010 to develop a risk-based concept design to address the dam’s known spillway deficiency, and explore its uncertain seismic stability. Increasing storage at the dam to firm up the yield from its integrated water supply system was also a key objective for the council.
In 2013, the concept design developed by Entura was accepted by Orange City Council and the NSW Dam Safety Committee, allowing the project to proceed. Subsequent works undertaken by Entura included detailed design, environmental studies and approvals, and preparation of tender documentation.
Led by Entura’s Specialist Dams Engineer Paul Southcott, the innovative design process involved the project team creating a computer model of Suma Park Dam that allowed the design solution to be developed and assessed prior to implementation.
“A ‘water load’ or pressure was applied to the 3D design model allowing us to calculate the stress in the concrete wall, so when it came to the real thing we knew how to strengthen it to make it safe,” said Mr Southcott.
“The solid concrete dam wall actually deflects, although it is too small to see it,” added Mr Southcott. “As the water load changes, the deflections are very small and the computer models could show us that deflection.”
Mr Southcott explained that his team identified a logical staging of remedial works that allowed Orange City Council to spread the capital cost over two or more years to help manage its budget. Additionally, Entura’s recommendation to revise the flood hydrology resulted in a significant reduction of the physical scope of works required to bring the dam up to standard. Careful modelling of the dam under seismic loading demonstrated that no seismic upgrade was required.
During the construction phase, undertaken by civil contractor Geotechnical Engineering, Entura provided construction support as Owner’s Engineer. Precast parapet wall slabs were designed and built away from the dam wall and then brought in and placed on top of the existing dam wall in order to increase the height. A wheeled crane was used to place one piece and secure it, then it would drive along that piece to place the next piece, 87 times until all of the concrete slabs were secured.
The $18 million dam wall upgrade was officially opened last Friday by Mayor John Davis OAM and NSW Government Duty MLC for Orange, Sarah Mitchell.
As part of Hydro Tasmania, Australia’s largest renewable energy producer and water manager, Entura draws on more than 100 years of experience of planning, building, managing and maintaining the many dams of Tasmania’s hydroelectric power system.
Entura has undertaken detailed design for many of Australia’s key new dam projects over the past decade, including Wyaralong Dam and Bromelton Offstream Storage in Queensland, the Samson Brook Pipehead Dam in Western Australia, the enlarged Cotter Dam in the ACT, and the Meander Dam in Tasmania.
Entura and Tasmanian Irrigation win Australian Engineering Excellence Awards
Specialist power and water consulting firm Entura, Tasmanian Irrigation and Water Solutions won the Australian Engineering Excellence Awards (AEEA) Tasmania 2016 in the category ‘Control Systems, Networks, Information Processing and Telecommunications’ for the Meander Dam integrated water management system.
Presented during a gala event in Hobart last night, the AEEA Tasmania 2016 Awards seek to identify, recognise and reward outstanding achievement in the practice of engineering and service to the profession, promoting industry excellence across engineering projects and engineering professionals.
Designed, developed and delivered by Entura, the Meander Dam integrated water management system provides accurate, reliable and easy-to-use information to help Tasmanian Irrigation (TI) effectively manage its Meander Dam water storage and associated hydropower facility in northern Tasmania. The system allows TI to deliver certainty of irrigation supply to water users while also optimising power production, and ensuring dam safety.
“We’re delighted to have partnered with Entura to develop the Meander Dam integrated water management system and are thrilled about winning such a prestigious award,” said TI CEO Nicola Morris.
“The value created by the water management system was particularly evident during the 2015–16 irrigation season, in which the region experienced below-average rainfall that resulted in reduced inflows into Meander Dam and increased demand for water supply to irrigators.”
“We were able to match demand from predicted storage levels, fulfilling irrigator expectations and retaining sufficient storage capacity to be able to extend the delivery for an additional month. This ensured that irrigators were able to finish final crops and also maintain pasture growth for livestock and dairy activities.”
Meander Dam is the centrepiece of the Meander Valley Irrigation Scheme, one of the largest irrigation schemes in Tasmania. The dam was completed in 2007 and holds 43 000 megalitres of water, supplying five irrigation regions servicing pasture and cropping land.
“The Meander Dam integrated water management system is an information gathering and processing system, as well as an easy-to-interpret, customised decision-support platform for optimising management and control of an integrated irrigation and hydropower system,” explained Angus Swindon, Power and Water Director at Entura.
Powered by Entura’s own Ajenti™ Data Management System, the system harnesses real-time rainfall and flow monitoring data captured by a network of catchment telemetry, and integrates this information with short-term and long-term Bureau of Meteorology forecasts and a hydrological model of the catchment, using the OPSIM modelling system developed by Water Solutions.
Via a user-friendly dashboard interface, Tasmanian Irrigation has an up-to-date picture of the dam’s status and the probability of various possible short-term and long-term scenarios of storage level and hydropower output.
Real-time information from water meters on pumps within the irrigation area is also brought into the system to give the operator a complete water balance in the area fed by the dam.
“Access to such robust and reliable information supports appropriate management decision making, such as whether and when to release water, and the extent and timing of hydropower operation,” said Ms Morris.
“Increased hydropower operation reaps a dual benefit from the water resource, helping to offset our operational costs, enabling greater delivery of service throughout Tasmania, benefitting not only the local community but the whole Tasmanian agricultural sector.”
Entura works with customers across the Asia-Pacific region and Africa to help them improve the safety and performance of their dams, irrigation schemes, pipelines and pumping stations and to deliver innovative data monitoring, management and analysis solutions.
Chanju-I hydropower project set to commence operations
I A Energy and specialist power and water consulting firm Entura today announced the conclusion of the 36 MW Chanju-I run-of-river hydropower project in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, India.
The milestone was announced during a hydropower roundtable hosted by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission in New Delhi, attended by Tasmania’s Minister for Energy, Matthew Groom; representatives of the Ministry of Power, Government of India; and members of the private sector.
The participation of the private sector in generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in India was approved in 2005. Chanju-I was awarded to I A Energy through a competitive bidding process and the business engaged Entura in 2007.
“This is a very important moment for us at I A Energy as Chanju-I was our first step towards diversifying into the renewable energy sector,” said I A Energy Managing Director Narendra Goel.
“We’re very pleased to have worked with Entura to develop a safe, cost-effective and sustainable run-of-river hydropower station that will support India’s need for new renewable electricity supply.”
Entura’s involvement over the full cycle of the project helped I A Energy ensure the right location, access and water availability for a viable project. The firm developed an effective design for the project, ensured its progress through development approval, and played an ongoing role during construction.
“Chanju-I is a very special project as we have been involved with it since its inception, and today we are delighted to be celebrating its completion,” said Entura India’s Managing Director.
“We are very proud of having supported the successful entry of a private sector player in India’s hydropower market, which will certainly inspire others that might be considering renewable energy but don’t have the expertise.”
“Chanju-I demonstrates the extensive hydropower experience and skills of our teams in India and Australia, which enabled I A Energy to overcome a number of challenges throughout the different phases of the project, delivering valuable outcomes such as increasing the asset capacity from 25 MW to 36 MW.”
The project involved construction of a 16-metre high barrage, a 4.1 km head race tunnel, two underground desilting chambers, underground pressure tunnels, pressure shafts and a surface power house. Entura provided technical expertise in optimising design and construction, costing, contract packaging, selection of equipment, scheduling and project management.
As part of Hydro Tasmania, Australia’s largest renewable energy producer and water manager, Entura draws on more than 100 years of experience of planning, building, managing and maintaining the many assets of Tasmania’s hydroelectric power system.
The firm has been working with clients around the globe, undertaking the design of a number of international hydropower projects over the past decade, including Dordi Khola in Nepal, Nam Pha Gnai in Laos, and Neusberg in South Africa.
Tasmanian Irrigation water management system a finalist for Australian Engineering Excellence Awards
Tasmanian Irrigation’s Meander Dam integrated water management system has been selected as a finalist for the Australian Engineering Excellence Awards (AEEA) Tasmania 2016.
Designed, developed and delivered by specialist power and water consulting firm Entura, the system provides accurate, reliable and easy-to-use information to help Tasmanian Irrigation (TI) effectively manage its Meander Dam water storage and associated hydropower facility in northern Tasmania. The system allows TI to deliver certainty of irrigation supply to water users while also optimising power production, and ensuring dam safety.
“We’re delighted to have partnered with Entura to develop the Meander Dam integrated water management system and are thrilled about being selected as a finalist for such a prestigious award,” said TI CEO Nicola Morris.
“The value created by the water management system was particularly evident during the 2015/16 irrigation season, in which the region experienced below-average rainfall that resulted in reduced inflows into Meander Dam and increased demand for water supply to irrigators.”
“We were able to match demand from predicted storage levels, fulfilling irrigator expectations and retaining sufficient storage capacity to be able to extend the delivery for an additional month. This ensured that irrigators were able to finish final crops and also maintain pasture growth for livestock and dairy activities.”
Meander Dam is the centrepiece of the Meander Valley Irrigation Scheme, one of the largest irrigation schemes in Tasmania. The dam was completed in 2007 and holds 43 000 megalitres of water, supplying five irrigation regions servicing pasture and cropping land producing dairy, poppies, cereals, pyrethrum, pasture seeds, potatoes, berries, vegetables and nuts.
“Entura’s solution incorporates a novel integration of inputs producing an easy-to-interpret, customised decision-support platform via a cloud-based service,” explained Angus Swindon, Power and Water Director at Entura. “Real-time rainfall and flow monitoring data is fed into the system via a network of catchment telemetry, and then combined with short-term and long-term Bureau of Meteorology forecasts and a hydrological model of the catchment.”
Via a user-friendly dashboard interface, Tasmanian Irrigation has an up-to-date picture of the dam’s status and the probability of various possible short-term and long-term scenarios of storage level and hydropower output. Real-time information from water meters on pumps within the irrigation area is also brought into a dashboard to give operators a complete picture of water balance in the area serviced by the dam.
“Access to such robust and reliable information supports appropriate management decision making, such as whether and when to release water, and the extent and timing of hydropower operation,” said Ms Morris.
“Increased hydropower operation reaps a dual benefit from the valuable water resource, helping to offset our operational costs, enabling greater delivery of service throughout Tasmania, benefitting not only the local community but the whole Tasmanian agricultural sector.”
The AEEA Tasmania 2016 Awards seek to identify, recognise and reward outstanding achievement in the practice of engineering and service to the profession, promoting industry excellence across engineering projects and engineering professionals. TI’s system is a finalist in the “Control Systems, Networks, Information Processing and Telecommunications” category and winners will be announced at an awards evening on 8 September.
About Tasmanian Irrigation
Tasmanian Irrigation Pty Ltd (TI) was established in 2008 and merged with the former Rivers and Water Supply Commission (RWSC) and Tasmanian Irrigation Schemes (TIS) Pty Ltd in 2011.
TI develops, constructs and operates irrigation schemes across the state using a Public – Private funding model for scheme development and with a commercial operational focus on delivering water to irrigators on time and at a realistic cost whilst maintaining the irrigation infrastructure
TI provides the technical, financial and project management skills to progress schemes from concept development through feasibility and construction to operations. All schemes developed by TI are designed to last 100 years, deliver water at an average reliability of greater than 95 per cent and are built to satisfy demand in each region.
In the 2015/16 summer irrigation season TI delivered over 67,730 ML of water via 13 schemes across the state.
For more information please visit www.tasirrigation.com.au
Entura appoints Principal Consultant Water Management and Technology
Specialist power and water consulting firm Entura has appointed David Fuller to the newly created role of Principal Consultant Water Management and Technology, based in its Melbourne office, in Australia.
David brings to Entura over 35 years’ experience in water management and the delivery of water, environment, engineering and advisory projects across Australia and Asia.
“We’re pleased to welcome David to the team,” said Angus Swindon, Power and Water Director at Entura. “David brings extensive water management and consulting experience to the firm and I’m confident he will add value to our clients’ projects as we expand our service offerings to the water sector in Australia and the Asia-pacific region.”
David’s expertise spans surface water and groundwater management, data analysis and modelling. He has a unique combination of skills across environmental and engineering hydrology, water quality, natural resource economics and advanced statistics that support a balanced and realistic view of the value of data and analysis in informing effective decision making.
“Helping to manage the flow of 14 trillion litres of water through the Tasmanian system every year has given Entura unparalleled experience in water resource management and infrastructure planning, operations and maintenance,” said David. “I’m very excited to join Entura as the firm prepares to expand both nationally and internationally and increase its presence in the water sector.”
Prior to joining Entura, David has held a number of senior positions in both the private and public sector. These included Senior Principal and Catchment Water Business Line Leader at URS Australia, Land & Water Assessment Manager at the Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment, and Principal Hydrologist at Hydro Tasmania.
David has a Bachelor of Science (Maths/Physics) from the University of Tasmania, a Graduate Certificate in Hydrology from The University of New South Wales, a Graduate Diploma in Statistics from The University of New England (UNE), a Master of Business Administration from Deakin University and a Master of Economics from UNE.
As part of Hydro Tasmania, Australia’s largest renewable energy producer and water manager, Entura is backed by more than 100 years of creating energy and maintaining power and water assets.
The firm works with clients to deliver practical and commercially sound solutions across the whole lifecycle of power and water assets, helping them to manage risks and achieve valuable outcomes.
Entura to deliver data management solution to Australia’s oldest irrigation scheme
Specialist power and water consulting firm Entura has been engaged by The Renmark Irrigation Trust (RIT) to deliver telemetry technology that will enable better data collection and management from over 800 water meters in South Australia.
Founded in 1893, RIT is Australia’s oldest irrigation scheme. It supplies irrigation water pumped from the Murray River to over 550 farming properties, covering more than 4,500 hectares of horticultural land.
The new system will significantly improve customer experience and drive operational efficiencies, eliminating the need for contractors to manually read the meters.
“We recognise the importance of good irrigation delivery and on‐farm practices through the use of efficient delivery infrastructure systems and efficient water use, monitoring and management techniques,” said RIT General Manager, Barry Schier.
“The new telemetry system provided by Entura will capture water use data from individual mag flow water meters utilising RS232 protocol throughout our scheme and integrate that data with our existing billing and water orderings systems.”
“Our customers will be able to access information concerning their daily water use and remaining water allocation via the internet, giving them greater oversight of their water use patterns and providing more flexibility for water trading.”
Upon implementation, RIT will take ownership of the entire system so that it can operate and maintain it with little or no external assistance. Entura will support the required knowledge transfer and capability development through its training division, the Entura clean energy and water institute.
Financial support for the RIT project was provided via a grant received under Round 2 of the Irrigation Industry Improvement Program (3IP) which forms part of the South Australian River Murray Sustainability (SARMS) Program funded by the Australian Government and administered by Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA).
“We’re pleased to be partnering with RIT to deliver a data collection and management system that will allow them to just concentrate on the data itself, and use it to manage risks and get the best out of their operations,” said Entura’s Business Development Manager for Water.
Entura works with customers across the Asia-Pacific region and Africa to help them improve the safety and performance of their dams, irrigation schemes, pipelines and pumping stations and to deliver innovative data monitoring, management and analysis solutions.
As part of Hydro Tasmania, Australia’s largest water manager, Entura is backed by more than 100 years of planning, building, managing and maintaining water assets.
Helping AusNet Services with stakeholder engagement for transmission line upgrade
Specialist power and water consulting firm Entura has been appointed by AusNet Services to deliver community and stakeholder engagement strategy development and implementation support for the Moorabool to Ballarat Transmission Line Upgrade.
The existing high voltage 220kV powerline running between the Moorabool and Ballarat terminal stations provides electricity throughout the north-west region of Victoria. The upgrade will ensure a secure and reliable future power supply to the region.
Entura was initially engaged 18 months ago to prepare the planning application and associated community consultation work. The planning permit applications, submitted to Councils in September 2015, have been approved and works to upgrade the transmission line are about to commence. AusNet Services plans to complete the upgrade by early 2017.
“AusNet Services is committed to working with local communities and key stakeholders to keep them informed and up-to-date as the project progresses,” said Anshul Srivastava, senior project manager at AusNet Services.
“We have listened to landowners during the planning phase and have designed our approach to minimise potential impacts to farming activities and local traffic, and we’re pleased to continue to partner with Entura in this next phase of the project.”
As part of this next phase, Entura will support the preparation of the Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) and the planning approval conditions through the life of the upgrade works.
“We’re delighted to have been engaged by AusNet Services to continue our involvement in the Moorabool to Ballarat Transmission Line Upgrade,” said Dale Bryce, Customer Strategy and Market Development Director at Entura.
“Working closely with head contractor Zinfra, Entura will ensure the CEMP is delivered according to the permit’s conditions and will undertake stakeholder engagement planning and implementation during construction.”
As part of Hydro Tasmania, Australia’s largest renewable energy producer and water manager, Entura has extensive practical knowledge of all commercial aspects of power and water infrastructure acquisition, planning, development, construction and operation. The firm has assisted a number of clients with their community and stakeholder engagement needs, enabling mutual understanding of proposed programs or projects and their anticipated effects.
Entura boosts dams engineering capability with new appointments
Specialist power and water consulting firm Entura has welcomed two new senior dams engineering specialists to its internationally renowned team.
Marius Jonker and Al Ahmed-Zeki joined the firm as Specialist Dams Engineers, based at Entura’s offices in Melbourne, Victoria and Hobart, Tasmania, respectively.
“We’re pleased to welcome Marius and Al to the team,” said Angus Swindon, Power and Water Director at Entura. “Both bring a wealth of experience to the firm and I’m confident they will add tremendous value to our clients’ projects across Australia and the Asia-pacific region.”
Marius Jonker
Marius brings to Entura over 25 years’ experience gained as in-house engineer and as technical consultant for dam projects in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Swaziland.
His experience spans planning, investigation, design, analysis and construction of dams, project and design management through to decommissioning studies. He has also worked on dam safety projects including managing dam safety programs, safety reviews, individual dam and portfolio risk assessments, safety inspections, instrumentation monitoring, surveillance, operation and maintenance, and dam safety emergency planning.
“I’m delighted to join Entura and am looking forward to partnering with clients and the broader team,” said Marius. “Entura has an impressive track-record on dams engineering, drawing on more than 100 years of experience of planning, building, managing and maintaining the many dams of Tasmania’s hydropower system, due to its connection with Hydro Tasmania, so it is very exciting.”
Before joining Entura, Marius was Principal Dams Engineer and Dams Service Group Manager for Victoria and South Australia at engineering firm GHD. Prior to that, he worked at BKS Pty Ltd (now AECOM) in South Africa as Divisional Director (Dams and Hydropower), and held several other consulting and in-house dams engineering roles.
Marius has a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) and a Masters of Engineering (Civil) from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. He has authored several papers on dams engineering and lectured on a number of dams engineering-related topics at workshops and seminars. He is also a technical peer reviewer for the international publication Dam Engineering.
As a member of the Australian National Committee on Large Dams (ANCOLD), Marius is involved with a number of activities, including the development of several industry guidelines. He is also a member of the South African National Committee on Large Dams and the USA Association of State Dams Safety Officials.
Al Ahmed-Zeki
Al has over 30 years’ experience as a geotechnical engineer specialising in dams. He has worked on projects in Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.
His experience comprises dam site investigations, analysis, design, peer reviews, instrumentation and safety and risk assessments. He specialises in the investigation and design of projects of significant geotechnical nature, including ground retention, land reclamation, civil and mine infrastructure, as well as investigations for slope stability and stabilisation. He also has a special interest in geotechnical distress analysis, as part of assessing asset condition, and developing solutions for remediation.
Before joining Entura, Al held several senior dams and geotechnical engineering roles, including Principal Engineer, Geotechnical, at GHD and Senior Geotechnical Engineer at Coffey International Ltd (now TETRATECH). He also had a two-year stint at Entura in the early 2000s as Senior Dams Engineer.
“It’s a pleasure to be back at Entura during a very exciting time for the firm,” said Al. “I’m looking forward to working with our clients to deliver practical and commercially sound advice relating to their civil and dam assets and develop innovative solutions for a range of geotechnical problems.”
Al has a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil) from the University of Baghdad, Iraq and a Masters of Engineering (Geotechnical) from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He has authored several papers on dams engineering and geotechnics, and regularly undertakes reviews of draft papers submitted for possible publication in the Journal of Geotechnical and Geological Engineering (Springer).
As part of Hydro Tasmania, Australia’s largest renewable energy producer and water manager, Entura is backed by more than 100 years of creating energy and maintaining power and water assets.
The firm works with clients to deliver practical and commercially sound solutions across the whole lifecycle of power and water assets, helping them to manage risks and achieve valuable outcomes.
Goldwind appoints Entura as independent advisor on White Rock Wind Farm
Specialist power and water consulting firm Entura has been appointed by Goldwind Australia to provide independent advice during the construction of the 175 MW White Rock Wind Farm.
Located west of Glen Innes in the New England/Northern Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia, White Rock Wind Farm will be larger than any currently operating wind farm in the state. Once completed, it will produce sufficient clean renewable energy to power approximately 75,000 homes and the project investment will exceed $400 million.
The project is jointly-owned by CECEP Wind-Power Corporation (CECWPC), which holds a 75% interest, and Goldwind, which holds a 25% interest. Goldwind Australia will provide Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) services to the project as well as Warranty Operations and Maintenance during the operations period.
Entura will act as independent advisor to Goldwind Australia during construction, providing engineering design review and site inspections for the balance of plant contract, which includes the main wind farm civil and electrical works.
“We’re pleased to welcome Entura to the White Rock Wind Farm project team,” said John Titchen, Managing Director of Goldwind Australia. “Entura’s wealth of experience in renewable energy generation projects will help ensure the successful delivery of this milestone project for CECWPC and Goldwind.”
Commenting on the appointment, Entura Managing Director Tammy Chu said: “We’re pleased to partner with Goldwind on this exciting project that will contribute to the introduction of more renewable energy to the Australian National Electricity Market.”
As part of Hydro Tasmania, Australia’s largest renewable energy producer, Entura can draw on 20 years of experience developing wind farms at the forefront of the industry in Australia. The firm has also been involved in more than 100 advanced and operational wind farm projects totalling more than 20 000 MW in India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, China, the Philippines, New Zealand and the Pacific.
For more information on the project visit the White Rock Wind Farm website.
Innovative pumped storage hydro design by Entura beats expectations
Specialist power and water consulting firm Entura has developed an innovative design for Genex Power’s Kidston Pumped Storage Hydropower Project in North Queensland, Australia.
Following an extensive project optimisation process, Entura and project partner HydroChina produced a design that has the potential to increase the plant’s head and peaking generation capacity of the project to a maximum of 450 MW over a 5-6 hour period, beating earlier expectations.
“The new design provides the lowest cost per MW of installed capacity and presents the lowest operating and environmental risk,” said Genex Power Managing Director Michael Addison. “Clever thinking and commercial focus has delivered an optimal design solution to maximise the potential of our project.”
Project Director and Principal Consultant, Civil Engineering at Entura, Richard Herweynen, said significant studies and investigations have been undertaken over the past months to provide confidence around this solution.
“Our new design, which provides for a low turkey’s nest dam design for the upper reservoir located on the top of an old waste rock dump, was developed through a detailed options assessment and optimisation process,” explained Mr Herweynen.
“This new configuration incorporates several strategic advantages and removes a number of the previous constraints inherent in the initial concept and, most significantly, enables a substantial increase in the installed capacity of the project from the initial 330 MW to up to 450MW, which is a fantastic outcome for our client.”
The Kidston Pumped Storage Hydropower Project is being developed at the disused Kidston Gold Mine in North Queensland and the feasibility study phase is being supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). There are currently only three pumped storage hydro schemes in Australia.
Pumped storage hydropower has the potential to generate rapid response, flexible power for delivery into Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM). It is a highly efficient form of large-scale energy storage that could help mitigate challenges that may come with the introduction of more wind and solar power into the NEM.
Entura has worked with clients in more than 30 countries over the past few decades – including India, Laos, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, South Africa and Tajikistan – assisting with developing, operating and maintaining hydropower assets of all sizes.
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Entura welcomes one of India’s most eminent geologists
Specialist power and water consulting firm Entura has appointed Dr Tapanjyoti Mukhopadhyay to the dual role of Principal Geologist and team manager, based in its New Delhi office, in India.
Dr Mukhopadhyay is one of India’s most eminent geologists, with more than 22 years of experience in hydropower projects ranging from 20 MW to 3000 MW located in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Nigeria and Burundi.
“Dr Mukhopadhyay is very well regarded in the hydropower industry for his technical capabilities and we are delighted to welcome him to Entura,” said Entura’s International Business Development Director and Managing Director for India. “His depth of geological and geotechnical expertise in hydropower projects and extensive experience working at global engineering consulting firms will add great value to Entura’s clients in the South and South-east Asian regions.”
Dr Mukhopadhyay specialises in all aspects of geological and geotechnical works spanning geotechnical investigation, soil/rock mass characterisation and classification, analysis and interpretation for engineering design of tunnelling, underground caverns, slope excavation and protection, geotechnical instrumentation and foundation engineering.
“It’s a very exciting time for Entura and I’m pleased to join the firm to support its development in the South and South-east Asian regions,” said Dr Mukhopadhyay. “The potential for hydropower development in these regions is huge and Entura is well positioned to increasingly add more value to local clients.”
Before joining Entura, Dr Mukhopadhyay spent ten years at SNC-Lavalin as the Lead Geologist, responsible for the firm’s geological and geotechnical works in the region. Prior to that, he spent ten years at Consulting Engineering Services India (now JACOBS) as an engineering geologist working on a range of water infrastructure projects including dam safety, pumped storage and conventional hydropower.
Dr Mukhopadhyay holds a bachelor in geology from Burdwan University and Masters in Applied Geology and Doctorate of Philosophy from the renowned India Institute of Technology. He is also a member of the Indian Society of Engineering Geology.
As part of Hydro Tasmania, Australia’s largest renewable energy producer and water manager, Entura is backed by more than 100 years of creating energy and maintaining power and water assets.
The firm works with clients to deliver practical and commercially sound solutions across the whole lifecycle of power and water assets, helping them to manage risks and achieve valuable outcomes.
Entura India appoints new Business Development Manager
Specialist power and water consulting firm Entura has appointed Mr Abhishek Swarnkar to the role of Business Development Manager.
Based in Entura’s New Delhi office, in India, Mr Swarnkar will focus on business development and sales in the South and South-east Asia regions.
“We are very pleased to welcome Abhishek to Entura,” said Entura’s International Business Development Director and Managing Director for India. “I am confident that his depth of expertise in the hydropower industry and extensive experience in client relationship development will add great value to the firm.”
Abhishek has a degree in mechanical engineering and 12 years’ experience in the hydropower industry. His experience spans hydropower design, project management, business development and sales for electro-mechanical equipment.
Prior to joining Entura, Abhishek was the International Business Development, Sales and Marketing Manager at Voith Hydro, focusing on the South and South-east Asia and Africa regions. In that role, he was involved with strategy development and was responsible for maintaining strong relationships with key accounts, as well as developing new relationships.
“I am looking forward to partnering with new and existing clients in South and South-east Asia to deliver solutions across the whole lifecycle of hydropower and renewable energy projects,” said Mr Swarnkar.
As part of Hydro Tasmania, Australia’s largest renewable energy producer and water manager, Entura is backed by more than 100 years of creating energy and maintaining power and water assets.
The firm works with clients to deliver practical and commercially sound solutions across the whole lifecycle of power and water assets, helping them to manage risks and achieve valuable outcomes.
Entura delivers flood forecasting system to Parkes Shire Council
A clever data management system developed by specialist power and water consulting firm Entura is helping to ensure the safety of a major dam in the New South Wales shire of Parkes.
An $11 million safety upgrade of the district’s main dam at Lake Endeavour has just been completed. It included upgrades to the dam wall and spillway, and implementation of an early warning system (EWS) for downstream residents and emergency services.
“The early warning system upgrade will provide real-time monitoring of conditions that could result in water overtopping the Lake Endeavour Dam,” said Andrew Francis – Director of Infrastructure Parkes Shire Council.
“It’s an essential part of our dam safety management strategy, and will allow us to provide alerts to the State Emergency Service and protect downstream residents if we experience those extreme conditions.”
The EWS combines actual dam water levels, from two locations in the catchment area, with data from the Bureau of Meteorology. The data collected from the dam is managed by Entura’s Ajenti Data Management System.
“An effective flood forecasting system is a vital tool for managing the significant risks that floods pose to communities, infrastructure and the environment,” said Dr Fiona Ling, Entura’s Principal Consultant in Hydrology, Resource Management and Investigations.
“If you can clearly understand the likelihood and scale of potential flooding and get accurate and timely warnings, you can better manage water infrastructure and implement safety plans in time to protect assets and communities at risk.”
Ajenti allows real-time observations to be combined with rainfall forecasts, using modelling to determine the likely inflows to the dam and related changes in water level over a seven day forecast period.
“Council staff can monitor the system via a simple interface, but the system is designed to be ‘set and forget’. If water levels are likely to reach a pre-determined level, the system automatically alerts Council staff so they can manage the risk of flood.”
The EWS complements the broader dam upgrade program, which has enhanced the ability of the Endeavour Dam to withstand large flood events. Members of the community and other stakeholders can monitor the key parameters monitored by the EWS at any time via the page on the Parkes Shire Council website.
Flood forecasting is a critical part of managing dam risk and public safety risks across a dam portfolio. As part of Hydro Tasmania, Australia’s largest water manager and renewable energy producer, Entura provides real-time inflow and flood forecasting and data management solutions to help manage Hydro Tasmania’s own extensive catchments and a complex system including 55 major dams.
“Entura has built on its experience in dam safety to offer flood forecasting expertise to a range of clients throughout the Asia-Pacific region for other important applications, such as providing the advanced flood warnings needed to protect assets and communities at risk, whether in regional areas like Parkes or a large metropolis such as Kuala Lumpur,” said Dr Ling.
Entura appointed to advise on dam investigation and engineering design in Nepal
Specialist power and water consulting firm Entura has been selected by the Department of Irrigation of the Government of Nepal and the Asian Development Bank to deliver consulting services for the investigation and detailed engineering design of the Nagmati Dam.
Located near Kathmandu, the Nagmati Dam is part of the Bagmati River Basin Improvement Project, which aims to improve water security and resilience to potential climate change impact in the Bagmati River Basin. The project will build on the community’s desire to restore the river environment in the Kathmandu Valley. It will also support the Government’s efforts to improve irrigation development and mitigate the impact of water-induced disasters in the middle and lower reaches of the basin.
“Entura will be the lead consultant for this assignment, which is expected to take 14 months to be completed, in two stages,” said Entura’s International Business Development Director.
“The scope of the initial stage includes the specification and supervision of additional investigation works, additional analysis, and updating the feasibility study,” explained Mr Sharma. “The second stage includes design of access roads, dam design analysis, development of reservoir operation rules, and preparation of tender documents for construction.”
The project will be delivered by a team of specialists from Entura’s offices in Australia and India.
As part of Hydro Tasmania, Australia’s largest renewable energy producer and water manager, Entura draws on more than 100 years of experience of planning, building, managing and maintaining the many dams of Tasmania’s hydroelectric power system.
Entura has undertaken detailed design for many of Australia’s key new dam projects over the past decade, including Wyaralong Dam and Bromelton Offstream Storage in Queensland, the Samson Brook Pipehead Dam in Western Australia, the enlarged Cotter Dam in the ACT, and the Meander Dam in Tasmania.
The firm has also been working with clients around the globe, undertaking the design of a number of international hydropower projects over the past decade, including Chanju-I in India, Dordi Khola in Nepal, Nam Pha Gani in Laos, and Neusberg in South Africa.
Hydro Tasmania signs Heads of Agreement regarding Entura joint venture
Hydro Tasmania has signed an in-principle agreement with the potential partners in a joint venture aimed at creating growth opportunities for its specialist power and water consulting business Entura.
The Heads of Agreement was signed in Beijing last Friday, as part of the Tasmanian Government’s trade mission to China.
Hydro Tasmania and its co-signatories, PowerChina Huadong and HydroChina (both subsidiaries of PowerChina), will now undertake further assessment and due diligence with the intent of reaching a formal agreement later in the year.
“The Heads of Agreement is a non-binding, in-principle agreement that reflects the desire of the three parties to reach a formal agreement in due course on a joint venture to take Entura forward,” said Hydro Tasmania CEO, Steve Davy.
The parties’ vision for the joint venture is to be a leading specialist power and water consulting firm, delivering services across the project lifecycle to customers in Australia and the Pacific, South and South-east Asia and Africa.
“Entura is already one of the world’s most experienced specialist power and water consulting firms,” said Entura Managing Director, Tammy Chu.
“I believe further growth in capability and coverage created by the potential joint venture will bring great benefit to our clients and it will allow us to continue to grow with them,” said Ms Chu.
A final decision to establish the joint venture will require approval by the Hydro Tasmania Board and the Tasmanian Government, and PowerChina Huadong and HydroChina will require approvals in China and Australia.
Hydro Tasmania explores joint venture to grow Entura business
Hydro Tasmania is exploring the potential of a joint venture with PowerChina to expand the market access of its consulting engineering business Entura.
Entura signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PowerChina subsidiary HydroChina during the Chinese President’s visit to Tasmania in November last year, building on the state’s growing relationship with China. PowerChina is a Chinese Central Government enterprise and ranks 313 among the Fortune Global 500.
The Entura / HydroChina MOU focused on co-operation on the development of opportunities in the energy and water sectors, including hydropower and renewable energy, sustainability and environmental management and power transmission.
Earlier this month, Entura and HydroChina jointly won a bid to work on the Kidston Pumped Storage Hydropower Project in North Queensland, for Genex Power.
“The project was awarded based on the combined capability of the two businesses, and demonstrates how the two businesses can leverage their relationship for mutual benefit,” said Hydro Tasmania CEO Steve Davy.
“In particular, Entura brings its Australian experience to the project and will help identify opportunities for project optimisation, while HydroChina brings a wealth of experience in the development and construction of pumped storage projects.”
Entura is already one of the world’s most experienced specialist power and water consulting firms with a significant number of clients, and a strong reputation in both the Australian and global markets. It offers services that are highly valued by clients.
“The potential joint venture would accelerate Entura’s growth by providing access to a significant project work load for the JV partners, and access to new markets through the broader international presence of the HydroChina/PowerChina group,” said Mr Davy.
“This growth would also provide improved opportunities for Entura’s people.
“Discussions are at an early stage with no firm decisions being made by either party. At this stage, we are having discussions about the strategic and cultural fit of our businesses.”
Subject to Board approval to proceed to the next stage, Hydro Tasmania will continue discussions, with a view to signing a high-level agreement in coming months about how the joint venture might be formed and operate. Following further assessment, negotiations would continue, with the aim of reaching a formal agreement by the end of 2015.
Entura’s employees were briefed about the potential joint venture this afternoon. Consultation with employees will continue, to understand their views on the joint venture opportunity, and these will be part of input into the high-level agreement to be signed later this year.
About the potential joint venture partners
HydroChina and PowerChina Huadong are part of the PowerChina Group.
HydroChina is a subsidiary of PowerChina and is acting as the facilitator within the PowerChina Group for the proposed relationship with Hydro Tasmania. HydroChina provides comprehensive technical services with respect to hydropower and water conservation, and renewable energy development. It engages in site planning, investigation and design, construction and supervision and EPC general contracting. It also has a mandate for investment in hydropower and broader renewable energy projects internationally. In 2014, HydroChina was ranked No. 12 in the top 150 Global Design Firms by annual revenue.
PowerChina Huadong, based in Hangzhou near Shanghai, is a large player in the water and power sector in China and internationally. Traditionally a consulting business within China it has expanded to deliver engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services and invest directly in projects, in addition to expanding its markets internationally.
Key facts and figures on PowerChina Huadong:
- Largest “Design Institute” in the PowerChina Group.
- Approximately 4000 employees, predominantly engineers
- Total assets $US1.3 billion, total revenue $US0.9 billion, EBITDA $US97 million (2014)
- Key markets: Domestic (China); International (South East Asia, South Asia, East Africa, West Africa, Middle East, Latin America)
- Three key segments: Hydropower and Renewables; Urban and Infrastructure; Dam Safety
- Three key products: Design/consultancy; EPC; Investment
Entura appointed to deliver feasibility study for innovative pumped storage hydro project
Specialist power and water consulting firm Entura has been appointed by Genex Power to deliver a bankable feasibility study for the Kidston Pumped Storage Hydropower Project in North Queensland, Australia.
Situated some 270km North West of Townsville, near the township of Georgetown, the project is located on the site of the historic Kidston Gold Mine. The abandoned mine site contains two large adjacent pits with the potential to act as the upper and lower reservoirs required for pumped storage hydropower generation.
There are currently only three pumped storage hydro schemes in Australia. The Kidston scheme will have an installed nameplate generation capacity of 330 MW and power generated will be sold directly into Australia’s National Electricity Market during times of peak demand.
Commenting to the market on the appointment of Entura, Genex’s Managing Director Michael Addison said: “Entura is a world leader in the planning, design and construction of hydro power stations and we are pleased to have engaged them to manage the bankable feasibility study process.
“Initial engagements between Genex and Entura have been very positive and we look forward to working with the Entura team, which has already indicated scope for improvements on the initial project design. The Genex Board will work closely with Entura to deliver a bankable feasibility study on budget and is on track to complete the work by 30 June 2016.”
Entura will partner with leading Chinese power and design consultants HYDROCHINA in the feasibility phase of the project. In November 2014 the two firms signed a Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate on the development of opportunities in the energy and water sectors.
Entura’s Managing Director Tammy Chu said: “As part of Hydro Tasmania, Entura brings a utility-owner perspective, deep local experience, regulatory knowledge and optimisation capability to the Kidston Pumped Storage project, while HYDROCHINA brings a wealth of specialist experience in the development and construction of pumped storage hydro stations.
“We look forward to working with Genex Power’s team and our partners to study how best to deliver a practical and commercially sound solution that will help bring the Kidston Pumped Storage project to life.”
In addition to the feasibility study, Entura will oversee subcontracted investigations, including geotechnical investigations and a bathymetric survey. The firm will also manage environmental and planning approvals for the project site, including specialist reports and community consultation.
Entura has been intimately involved in the planning, design, construction and ongoing operation and maintenance of the 30 hydropower stations, 55 major dams and 212 km of pipelines, tunnels and canals that make up the hydropower asset portfolio of its parent company Hydro Tasmania.
The firm has also worked with clients in more than 30 countries over the past few decades – including India, Laos, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, South Africa and Tajikistan – assisting with developing, operating and maintaining hydropower assets of all sizes.
