Mitigating the risk of fire associated with certain electricity assets is vital in Australia’s bushfire prone climate. However, traditional methods of surveying large electricity networks are costly and timeconsuming. Recently, Geomatic Technologies completed works surveying parts of the Powercor and AusNet Services electricity networks in Victoria using an innovative method that greatly reduced the time and expenditure required. Reducing the […]
Projects
ARENA announces nine new energy projects
Jessica Dickers Batteries & Storage, Company news, Electricity, News, Projects, Renewable Energy, Solar 0The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced nine new research and development projects to be supported through its latest funding round, including solar, battery storage and biogas developments. The selected projects include: Integrating concentrating solar thermal energy into the bayer alumina process-University of Adelaide Smart sodium storage system for renewable energy storage– The University of Wollongong Consumer energy systems […]
Irrigation innovation: putting water back in the murray
Jessica Dickers Irrigation, Maintenance, News, Projects, Water 0Record levels of government funding are providing local growers along South Australia’s River Murray with the opportunity to remain at the forefront of irrigation practice, while returning much needed water to the MurrayDarling Basin (MDB) River system. The $265million Federal Governmentfunded South Australian River Murray Sustainability (SARMS) program has been designed to achieve the industry driven outcomes first sought by […]
Pipeline to boost jobs in Bundaberg
Jessica Dickers Civil Construction, Company news, Gas, News, Pipelines, Projects 0The first pipes have been laid for the Australian Gas Networks’ $19.8million Bundaberg Port Gas Pipeline, which is predicted to boost jobs in the Bundaberg region. The Queensland Government contracted Australian Gas Networks to build and operate the 28km pipeline. Australian Gas Networks Chief Operating Officer, Mr Andrew Staniford, said the company is excited to be playing an integral role […]
Breaking records in long drive microtunnelling
Jessica Dickers Civil Construction, Land access, News, Pipelines, Projects, Safety and Training, Sponsored Editorial, Trenchless technology, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0A record-breaking microtunnelled bore was recently completed beneath roads, multiple houses, private property and an old industrial area to replace the deepest sections of a much-needed gravity sewer line as part of Melbourne Water’s Alphington Sewer Replacement Project. With Lendlease as principal contractor, Rob Carr Pty Ltd was subcontracted to provide specialist deep tunnel construction and associated civil works, with […]
Drilling for a sustainable future
Jessica Dickers Horizontal Directional Drilling Content Hub, News, Pipelines, Projects, Sponsored Editorial, Trenchless technology 0Central Park in Sydney’s CBD is a unique urban hub powered largely by a centralised trigeneration thermal plant. The plant provides the energy demands of each building on site via an underground thermal piping network. To expand this energy network to service surrounding infrastructure, a trio of trenchless crossings were dug beneath Broadway, beginning at an unusual depth of 20m […]
Setting the agenda for smart meters in Australia
Jessica Dickers Digital Utilities, Electricity, News, Projects, Safety and Training, Smart meters, Stakeholder Engagement 0When industries and sectors evolve, very often a new set of rules and standards for products and services can be required. In these instances, there can be a number of pathways available to industry, including the implementation of national regulation, the development of industry codes of practice, or the development of Australian Standards. The energy supply sector has experienced many […]
The Victorian Government is creating a new water plan for the state to ensure sustainable water management strategies are in place for the future. The plan’s nine key focus areas include: Responding to climate change Managing waterway and catchment health Managing water for agriculture Developing resilient and liveable cities and towns Recognising and managing for Aboriginal values Recognising recreational values […]
Companies urged to reconsider future strategies
Jessica Dickers Features, Gas, News, Projects, Renewable Energy 0A new report has urged oil and gas companies to reconsider their long-term strategies if they want to adapt to the industry’s transition to a low carbon system. The PWC report, New Energy Futures, perspectives on the transformation of the oil and gas sector, has found the sector’s long-term outlook and market dynamics have changed and the use of fossil […]
Darwin’s new Darwin Zone Substation has officially opened, replacing the City Zone Substation, which has reached the end of its economic life. The new substation comprises an indoor 66kV Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) as opposed to the existing outdoor 66kV switchyard. The 66kV GIS technology is able to address the Northern Territory’s harsh, local environmental conditions. NT Minister for Essential Services, […]
WaterNSW is upgrading one of New South Wales’ largest inland dams, the Burrendong Dam, by carrying out maintenance work on the dam’s outlet valves. The work will run from May-July 2016, a period of low irrigation demand, so the works will not disrupt customers. WaterNSW Manager Water Operations, Craig Cahill, said the lower river flow is to be diverted through […]
Advance water available for irrigators
Jessica Dickers Features, Irrigation, News, Projects, Water 0Murray Irrigation will make up to 200GL of water available to irrigators in advance, prior to the commencement of the 2016/2017 irrigation season allocations. Farmers can now apply to participate in the Snowy Advance Project, which allows farmers time to consider their options while regulatory approval is pending. Murray Irrigation and Snowy Hydro will make the water available as an […]
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Barnaby Joyce, has announced that construction of New South Wales’ largest wind farm will begin at the end of April 2016. The $400million White Rock Wind Farm, located in New England (NSW), will produce enough renewable energy to power 75,000 homes. Chinese wind turbine manufacturer, Goldwind, will construct the wind […]
Energy trial to integrate storage into the network
Jessica Dickers Batteries & Storage, Electricity, Embedded networks, Features, News, Projects, Renewable Energy, Solar, Stakeholder Engagement 0The Western Australian Government has announced a four-year battery storage trial to explore the benefits of integrating solar and energy storage into a traditional electricity network. The $6.7million trial is a collaboration between Synergy and development partners LandCorp and Lendlease. The trial is partly funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) who invested $3.3million in the project. Western Power […]
Moving Victoria’s powerlines underground
Jessica Dickers Electricity, News, Powerlines, Projects, Safety and Training, Stakeholder Engagement 0Funding is now available for residents in Victoria’s north-east and north-west to apply to have overhead powerlines that connect their property to roadside power poles buried underground. This should help protect their homes from the risk of bushfire. Hundreds of bare-wire private overhead powerlines are currently being replaced across the state as part of the Victorian Government’s $200million Powerline Replacement […]
Potential Wimmera Mallee Pipeline extension
Jessica Dickers Civil Construction, News, Pipelines, Projects, Water 0The Victorian Government will invest $1million in a feasibility study to determine if it can extend the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline to the West Wimmera Shire and Ararat Rural City. Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water (GWMWater) will conduct the study and investigate the feasibility of extending the pipeline network to cover an area of more than 300,000 hectares. The study will also […]
Bi-partisan support needed for onshore gas
Jessica Dickers Features, Gas, News, Pipelines, Policy, Projects 0NT Deputy Chief Minister and Business Minister, Peter Styles, will meet with the Northern Territory Chamber of Commerce to discuss the possibility of the state government providing additional funding to the North East Gas Interconnector (NEGI) pipeline. The sit down follows the announcement that Jemena, the contractor for the NEGI pipeline, has been forced to reduce the pipeline’s diameter after […]
The Northern Territory Government is seeking proponents for the development of an agricultural project which will provide new farming land by extending irrigation channels from Western Australia into the Northern Territory. The Ord Stage 3 irrigated agricultural development aims to provide 14,500 hectares of new farming land by extending the irrigation channels. NT Primary Industry and Fisheries Minister, Gary Higgins, […]
Wyong wastewater plant’s new infrastructure
Jessica Dickers Civil Construction, Maintenance, News, Projects, Pumps, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0Wyong Water will deliver an $11million upgrade to the Wyong South wastewater treatment plant in NSW, including the replacement of two aeration tanks and an odour control system. Wyong Water Director, Greg McDonald, said the upgrades not only replaced old, worn out infrastructure but also employed new technology based on lessons learnt over time. “We have four aeration tanks at […]
Federal Minister for Communications, Mitch Fifield, has launched a new fibre optic technology to be used in the NBN rollout in New South Wales. The technology is made at Prysmian’s manufacturing facility in Dee Why, a company which has already supplied more than five million kilometres of fibre optic cable to the NBN network. ‘Today’s launch is a great example […]
Remote Victoria to connect to water grid
Jessica Dickers News, Pipelines, Projects, Sustainability, Water 0The Victorian Government will connect the southwest Loddon Shire with Victoria’s water grid through the construction of 1300kms of pipelines linking the West Waranga Channel with the Wimmera Mallee Pipeline. Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews and Victorian Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water, Lisa Neville, joined Agriculture Minister, Jaala Pulford, to announce the project, which aims to provide water security […]
The Power and Water Corporation is building a wine-glass shaped elevated water tank in Palmerston (NT) to provide a secure water supply to the region. The water tank will measure 28.5m in diameter and be able to hold the equivalent of 1.5 olympic swimming pools of water. NT Minister for Essential Services, Peter Chandler, said the project is fantastic achievement […]
Geelong to receive backup water supply
Jessica Dickers Desalination, News, Pipelines, Projects, Sustainability, Water 0Barwon Water will soon begin using the Melbourne to Geelong water pipeline and the Barwon Downs borefield to combat extended dry conditions in the Geelong region. The 59km pipeline will be tapped-into from the beginning of April, with the borefield currently being readied for operation. Barwon Water said customers will not pay any extra for these water sources as prices […]
Wheatbelt locals benefit from water upgrade
Jessica Dickers Civil Construction, Features, Maintenance, News, Pipelines, Projects, Stakeholder Engagement, Water 0The Western Australian Government is continuing its support of local businesses in the WA Wheatbelt by employing local contractors to carry out works on the Water Corporation’s ‘Farmlands Water Supply Improvement Program.’ The three-year project will include the replacement of 64km of pipeline and the repair of 7,500 pipeline joints in the Wheatbelt area. Currently, more than 7,800km of pipelines serve […]
Opportunities for effective energy transition
Jessica Dickers Batteries & Storage, Electricity, News, Policy, Projects, Renewable Energy, Sponsored Editorial 0By Aleks Zids, Quest Events As Australia’s energy infrastructure transitions away from fossil fuels and towards a low carbon and increasingly distributed future there are difficult questions and decisions to be made concerning the future for the sector. There is a two-fold energy challenge – meeting the needs of millions of consumers and high energy intensive companies with low-cost, reliable […]
Tender: water meter installation
Jessica Dickers Digital Utilities, Open tenders and opportunities, Projects, Water 0The Western Australian Department of Defence is seeking tenders for the installation of water meters and loggers at Campbell Barracks, HMAS Stirling, Leeuwin Barracks and RAAF Pearce defense bases. Works include: The installation of water meters and loggers The installation of associated ancillary items, including valves and couplings Testing and commissioning as prescribed, at nominated buildings and facilities Submissions to […]
New WA trenchless wastewater project
Jessica Dickers Civil Construction, Features, Maintenance, News, Pipelines, Projects, Trenchless technology, Water and Wastewater Treatment 0The Water Corporation has announced a wastewater project which will refurbish 4.2km of wastewater pipes in western Perth using trenchless technology. The $3.5million project will extend the life of the wastewater pipes in Cottesloe, Mosman Park and Peppermint Grove by at least 50 years. Western Australian Water Minister, Mia Davies, said the project formed part of an ongoing program of […]
New gas-fired power station for SA
Jessica Dickers Civil Construction, Electricity, Gas, News, Projects 0Leigh Creek Energy has signed a heads of agreement with a Chinese-based energy company to build a gas-fired power station in South Australia. Leigh Creek Energy (LCK) signed the heads of agreement (HoA) with Shanghai Electric Power Generation Group, with the intention for the companies to work together to establish a joint venture company in South Australia that will construct, […]
Balancing act: future-proofing Australia’s electricity network
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