PODCASTS

Series 1, Episode 2

15 July, 2026

What do you do when you need to replace critical infrastructure that’s 18m underwater on a live hydropower asset?

At Trevallyn power station, that was the challenge facing Professional Mechanical Engineer Eli Pharaoh.

The existing trash rack had been cast directly into the concrete intake, meaning it couldn’t be simply unbolted and replaced.

Draining the lake was not an option. None of the original hardware could be used, and the power station needed to remain operational for most of the upgrade to manage lake water levels.

This was far from a standard engineering problem.

In this episode of The Entura Effect, Eli discusses the distinct technical challenges he faced on the project, the innovative solution he designed and how the outcome not only managed every project constraint but also was a cost-effective solution for the client.

Listen now to hear the story behind this project and the clever engineering that made it possible.