Henty and White Spur telemetry upgrade
Client: Hydro Tasmania
Location: Tasmania / Australia
Date: February 2023 - June 2024
Giving new life to the existing headworks communications and control system for a Tasmanian hydropower network
Background
Henty River, White Spur and Sophia River are located in West Coast Tasmania and relied on for hydropower generation. The existing headworks communications and control at Henty Dam Outlet Gate, White Spur Dam Outlet Gate, Sophia Tunnel Inlet Gate and Sophia Tunnel Outlet Gate use fixed trunked mobile radio (TMR), which was initially commissioned in 1999.
After approximately 25 years of operation, the control and communications system was set to be decommissioned and replaced by the Tasmanian Government Radio Network (TasGRN) and standardised control system equipment, as it had reached end of life and was no longer maintainable. The new system would maintain the existing functionality, improve communications performance, and reset the asset condition and lifecycle.
Solution
Entura was engaged by our client to design a new headworks SCADA and control system, to be installed and tested between the Newton Pump Station and Henty and White Spur Dam Inlet sites. The bespoke design was based on standard Hydro Tasmania equipment to improve system availability and maintainability.
The system designed by Entura replicates all existing functions, while provisioning for future upgrades and instrumentation. It features a 48-hour uninterruptable power supply (UPS) to allow operations staff more time to respond when a power system event arises, Ethernet radio for future proofing the network extension and a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) based SCADA/control system for system flexibility and improved control functionality.
Services provided
- SCADA system design
- SCADA compliance testing
Outcome
Working closely with the client’s project team and ensuring a clear line of communication, Entura was able to deliver a high-quality design and testing service to meet the client’s project schedule.
Since the installation/commissioning of the new equipment would interrupt current services at Henty and White Spur Dam, Entura worked with the client to manage asset risk and carried out a smooth asset return to service.
We provided SCADA/control design, implementation, and commissioning, liaised with key stakeholders, planned system outages, and carried out compliance testing of the system without disrupting the client’s operations. The result was the client now has a new and improved system that will reliably operate and monitor their assets for the foreseeable future.
