Assessing the resilience of power systems to perform under multiple real-life threats
How is COVID-19 Impacting the Electric Energy industry in Australia?
Event Recordings
SA Power Networks – creating the network of the future
SA Power Networks – creating the network of the future
2 July 2020 - Brendon Hampton
Learn how SA Power Networks is responding to the challenges and opportunities presented by the world’s highest penetration of distributed solar PV, the rise of virtual power plants, the increasing impact of storms and the oldest assets in the national electricity market. Topics include:
Brendon Hampton, Manager Network Strategy, SA Power Networks
Brendon is responsible for facilitation and oversight of long-term strategy to ensure that network
safety, reliability, risk and levels of service adapt to changing environmental factors, and SA Power Networks continues to deliver increased value
to stakeholders.
A key focus is facilitating the development SA Power Networks’ strategic capabilities required to transition to the new energy future – ensuring we can continue to provide a safe, secure, efficient and reliable distribution network as our industry continues its dramatic transition from centralised generation to one dominated by customer-owned distributed energy resources.
Digital Innovation in Energy
Digital Innovation in Energy
24 June 2020 - Struan Buchanan and Matt Townrow
From generation to consumption, every aspect of the energy value chain is facing unprecedented change and disruption. Shifts in technology and consumer behaviour are driving change at almost every level, creating problems that need to be solved and opportunities that can be seized. Businesses that understand the increasingly digital environment and how to harness it for innovation, will emerge as the winners.
Join a panel of industry innovators and Deloitte experts for a session covering what innovation means, how to innovate to capture value through digital, and deep dives into live examples of digital innovation in our rapidly changing sector.
Struan Buchanan - Monitor Deloitte, National Strategy Consulting Lead Partner for Energy and Resources
Struan is Deloitte’s National Strategy Consulting Lead Partner for Energy and Resources. He has
over 20 years of experience with public and private asset-intensive clients across Australia and North America, primarily in the energy and water
sectors. He works with business leaders to develop and deliver strategies and business models that leverage digital innovation to increase resilience,
adaptability and sustained value.
Matt Townrow - Flexibility Services Lead for Origin Energy
Matt has helped lead the advancement of Origin’s Demand Response offering for C&I and build
a strong pipeline and portfolio of customers using this service. Matt works at the intersect of product development, sales, analytics, trading
and engineering, actively bringing these parties together to launch new energy solutions. Through this experience, Matt has developed an appreciation
and learnings for the critical role engineering and technical capabilities can play throughout the product innovation and development lifecycle.
Prior to joining Origin, Matt was the Director of Global Sales for GreenSync.
Australia’s hydrogen advantage – a roadmap
Australia’s hydrogen advantage – a roadmap
18 June 2020 - Mark G Jackson
Hydrogen production presents an exciting opportunity to store and transport renewable energy over long distances. This presentation will talk about how “green” hydrogen can be can be produced in ways that support the expansion of renewables, and then how the hydrogen is and can be applied to help reduce emissions in a wide range of industries. This will build on the first H2 roadmap developed by the South Australian Government, as well as the more recent federal and CSIRO reports.
Mark G Jackson, Director / Project Manager / Electrical Engineer at Mark G Jackson Consulting
Mark is the founder of Mark G Jackson Consulting, a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) with
Engineers Australia, and is a member of a wide range of other professional associations including EESA, AIPM, CIGRE, IEEE and PMI.
Mark has worked for more than twenty years as a Manager and Engineer and has extensive experience in the fields of power and energy (in particular wind and renewable hydrogen), heavy industry and defence aviation specialising in program and project management, construction and commissioning management, operational engineering and logistics management, detailed engineering design development and documentation.
For more than the last decade, Mark has worked almost exclusively in the power and energy space, particularly focussing on the development, construction and commissioning of renewable generation (wind) and its associated grid connection and transmission network infrastructure.
Mark has increased his skill set through formalising his extensive contract management experience through the achievement of a Masters of Construction Law in 2019.
Mark has previously worked for Sinclair Knight Merz (seven years) and the Department of Defence (Army and Defence Material Organisation) (fourteen years).
Successfully Managing Change in the Electric Energy Industry
Successfully Managing Change in the Electric Energy Industry
16 June 2020 - Jeff Allen
Jeff Allen has been involved in many different roles in the electric energy area for over 50 years. He has seen many changes – and he is of the view that these changes are continuing at an even faster pace. He believes that it is essential for engineers to understand all the changes that are occurring (be they technical, market, management or customer) and adjust their knowledge, attitude and overall approach in order to be successful in the “new business environment.”
He will talk about his “early days” as an engineer where he saw the introduction of the internet (yes the internet!), personal computers and mobile phones as well as “Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition” that all assisted in improving the control and operation of the electricity distribution network as well as collecting data and turning this into information to improve the overall management of network assets.
Having been involved in a number of major network events such as the Auckland Power Failure (assisting with the Government Inquiry) and the 2009 Kilmore East - Kinglake Fire court case (as a shadow expert witness), he has seen how relatively simple errors/oversights can result in causing a significant event with major impacts on everyone associated with the event.
He will discuss why engineers need to understand the all the details of their area of expertise as well as the “big picture” overview of the changes that are occurring and the impact of these changes on the transmission and distribution system so that they can successfully make the transition to this much more complicated world.
Jeff Allen, National President at the Electric Energy Society of Australia
Jeff completed a degree in Electrical Engineering from Sydney University in 1967 and has undertaken many professional development activities and formal technical and management training courses during his career.
As well as many engineering roles, he has held a number of executive positions in various companies. These roles include CEO, GM Networks and GM Network Services at Integral (now Endeavour) Energy, CEO of Energy Auctions (now Energy Action Ltd), CEO of AK Power Solutions (now part of Insulect) and Director Client Services at EMS Solutions. He has also consulted widely in Australia and New Zealand in the areas of network regulatory and pricing submissions, best practice asset management, engineering consulting, business process re-engineering, procurement best practice and culture change management.
He has held a number of board positions with various companies for varying periods over the past 22 years. In addition to the above roles, he has held a number of “industry committee” positions.
Jeff joined the Electricity Supply Engineers Association of NSW (the predecessor organisation to EESA) in 1977. He joined Engineers Australia as a member in 1983 and became a Fellow of Engineers Australia in 1994.
AEMO’s Renewable Integration Study (RIS)
AEMO’s Renewable Integration Study (RIS)
28 May 2020 - Barry O'Connell and Chris Davies
The Renewable Integration Study (RIS) is the first stage of a multi-year plan to maintain system security in a future National Electricity Market (NEM) with a high share of renewable resources. This presentation will discuss the findings and recommendations which reflect both AEMO’s day-to-day experience operating the NEM power system, and the results of extensive RIS modelling and analysis.
Also covered will be the challenges in the short term, to 2025, of maintaining power system security while operating this resource mix at very high instantaneous penetrations[1] of wind and solar generation, including recommendations and actions needed to keep operating the NEM securely, now and as the power system transitions.
Barry O'Connell – Principal Engineer, Future Energy Systems at AEMO.
Barry
is leading AEMO’s Renewable Integration Study (RIS) – a multi-year plan to support a secure and reliable NEM with a high penetration of renewables. The study is focussed on quantifying the
renewable penetration limits of the power system for a projected generation mix and network configuration in 2025 and recommending actions to break
down the barriers to higher penetrations.
Chris Davies - Manager, Future Energy Systems at AEMO.
Chris
is responsible for AEMO’s Future Energy Systems team, whose core function is to identify and communicate emerging power system limits as the generation
mix changes. The remit of the team includes addressing how these limits can be alleviated, including reviewing technical requirements, standards
and the technical specification of system services.
The Future Energy Systems team’s major focus is currently the delivery of AEMO’s Renewable Integration Study (RIS) – the first stage of a multi-year plan to support a secure and reliable NEM with a high share of renewables. The study is focussed on quantifying the technical renewable penetration limits of the power system for a projected generation mix and network configuration in 2025.
Barker Inlet Power Station Project
Barker Inlet Power Station Project
27 May 2020 - Brad Pfeiffer and Kevin Andersen
Barker Inlet Power Station is AGL Energy’s $295 million investment to develop a 210 MW reciprocating engine power station sitting alongside the Torrens Island Power Station site near Port Adelaide.
The Barker Inlet Power Station comprises 12 reciprocating engines capable of generating approximately 18 MW of output each. The engines operate at high efficiency and with a lower heat rate than other forms of fast-start plants currently available. The station also has the capability of operating at full capacity within five minutes, providing a rapid response to changes in renewable generation supply.
Brad Pfeiffer, Barker Inlet Power Station Integration Manager
Currently
employed by AGL, Brad has over 30 years’ experience in the South Australian generation industry having previously been employed by ETSA, TXU, Singapore
Power and TRUenergy. Most of Brad’s career has been spent based at the Torrens Island Power Station where he has held various roles in management,
engineering, asset and project management. He previously managed over a number of years the upgrade of the instrumentation and control systems on all
eight Units at Torrens with modern distributed control systems in a central control room. Most recently on the Barker Inlet Power Station project,
Brad managed a broad portfolio associated with readying the processes, systems and personnel at Torrens for operation and maintenance of the new plant.
Kevin Andersen, Project Manager, Barker Inlet Power Station
Currently
employed by AGL, Kevin has over 35 years’ experience in the South Australian generation industry having previously been employed by the same companies
as Brad above.
Kevin started his working life as an electrician and then studied to achieve his electrical Engineering degree. With many years working in each area of the power station from maintenance, operations engineer/manager, projects and Asset Engineering this has given him a broad experience. Recently completing the build of the Barker Inlet Power Station where Kevin assisted the Project director in the building of BIPS and connection to the grid and facility interfaces.
The importance of HV Earthing Systems
The importance of HV Earthing Systems
20 May 2020 - Bill Tocher and Chris Shaw
High Voltage power systems have the potential to cause harm to utility workers and the public from fault events which, although unlikely, are not completely preventable. The earthing system of a substation or transmission line is a key component of operational reliability and becomes crucial for personnel safety and equipment protection during faults. Join us for a clear and helpful presentation of the standards applicable in Australia and the fundamental operating principles of earthing systems.
Bill Tocher is Engineering Director at Safearth. As well as being an engaging presenter,
his expertise in earthing and lightning protection systems traverses all industries and states of Australia. He has performed audits, designs, corrosion
& electrolysis coordination studies, commissioning testing and failure & shock investigations, and contributed to Australian & international
standards.
Chris Shaw is a Principal Engineer and the New Business Manager at Safearth. He has
been designing, testing, commissioning, and auditing high voltage earthing systems since he joined Safearth in 2007. He has provided solutions for
power utilities, thermal & hydro generators, mines, road tunnels, and rail expansion projects across Australia and in many states of America.
Fundamentals Series - High Voltage Cable Insulation
Fundamentals Series - High Voltage Cable Insulation
29 April 2020 - John Lansley
Welcome to the EESA Qld Chapter's "Fundamental Series". The aim of these presentations is to help up-and-coming engineers build a solid practical knowledge foundation and for the more experienced, it's a great refresher and CPD opportunity. In this presentation, we will be discussing the electrical properties of High Voltage Cable Insulation and the various types that have been used. It will examine typical failure mechanisms associated with cable insulation, and what condition monitoring tests are most effective to determine cable condition.
John Lansley is the Manager Substation Standards at Energy Queensland. After starting
as a graduate engineer at SEQEB in 1989, John has worked in Metering, Substation Plant, Underground Transmission Design & Construction and Engineering
Standards prior to his current role. He has been a member of the CIGRE B1 Australian Panel on insulated cables for 10 years and is looking forward
to imparting his wealth of knowledge in relation to HV cable insulation.
Assessing the resilience of power systems to perform under multiple real-life threats
Assessing the resilience of power systems to perform under multiple real-life threats
22 April 2020 - Terry Mohn & Lee Goodyear
INTEGRATED ENERGY MODELLING PLATFORM
Network Optimisation, Resilience, and Transition Planning
For the past 15 years, electric power systems around the world, have invested heavily into smart grid (grid 3.0) solutions. Simply stated, smart grid is the mash-up of IT and OT. Due to the inherent utility business practice of using assets far beyond their useful life, many of the legacy OT systems could not cope with the introduction of IT. As a result, much of the IT data streams have become fallow and if not utilized, certainly not utilized efficiently.
A new dawn is coming. We are labelling it Grid 4.0. With new data-mining and machine learning techniques, we can now bridge the age-gap between antiquated OT systems with the new IT systems.
Current modelling technology uses monolithic datasets and diverse models to determine optimal system performance. Many organisations are preparing to spend significant R&D funds over many years to build an integrated energy modelling platform.
The NES Platform combines the latest data science with multi-physics simulations to predict outcomes of “difficult to solve” inter-relationships – extending the modelling of disruptive events beyond one-dimensional 'n-1' scenarios to simultaneous multi-dimensional 'n-x' impact analysis and remediation planning. By using grid topology, weather forecasting, population density and regulatory rules, the NES Platform can forecast geographic grid problems. This can be visualised via heatmaps and include the severity of potential results, including confidence bands.
The NES Platform aggregates disparate, complex models and datasets into a single view. Executives can use the Platform to forecast outcomes of significant events or tactical decisions. For example, the Platform will answer questions of the types of asset investment to deal with emerging regulatory requirements versus grid reliability due to consumer rooftop solar. ‘What if?’ scenario modelling that previously required teams of specialists for months can now be run by decision-makers on demand, in seconds.
Terry Mohn, CEO at National Energy Simulators
Terry specialises in the integration of renewables into balanced energy platforms for industries, businesses, cities and sustainable communities. Terry's primary field of interest is modernising national electric power grids. He is a highly sought-after speaker on the smart grid, microgrids, standards and renewable energy integration. Terry is the Chairman of the International Microgrid Association. He served as Federal Advisor to the Dept. of Commerce NIST, as well as emerging technologies for the California Energy Commission. He has chaired the Microgrid Alliance and the United Nations Foundation microgrid workgroups. Terry is recognised as one of the ‘Top-20 Global Power Elite’.
Hydrostor's Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage, Strathalbyn
Hydrostor's Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage, Strathalbyn
16 April 2020 - Greg Allen
Canadian based energy company, Hydrostor, is constructing Australia’s first Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage (A-CAES) facility at the closed Angas Zinc Mine near Strathalbyn. The 5MW/10MWh fuel-free facility will use the existing underground mine void to develop a below-ground air-storage cavern to achieve emissions free energy storage.
Greg Allen, Managing Director at Hydrostor Australia
Greg has 20 years of experience across a range of technology and engineering industries, including extensive business development and operational expertise with industrial plant and equipment, and solar and battery energy storage. Greg previously held senior roles at SOLCO Ltd (Formerly Solar Energy Systems Ltd) and enGen (Energy Generation), a part of Wesfarmers Energy. Prior to joining Hydrostor, Greg was Chief Operating Officer at Carnegie Clean Energy, where he was responsible for ensuring compliance with regulatory and commercial requirements for project development, execution and the sale of power and water.
How is COVID-19 Impacting the Electric Energy industry in Australia?
How is COVID-19 Impacting the Electric Energy industry in Australia?
14 April 2020 - John Huggart, Jill Caines, Nino Ficca
EESA understands that our many members from across Australia working in all aspects of the electric energy industry are being impacted in some way or other by the crisis being created by COVID-19. This webinar assists all of us to have a better understanding of the effect that COVID-19 is currently having and the likely impacts over the next 12 months on all aspects of the electric energy industry within Australia.
This webinar features three excellent speakers from various backgrounds – and each discusses from their perspective the impacts that are being or will be experienced as a result of COVID-19. Each speaker presents for approximately 15 minutes.
John Huggart – CEO of Energy Action. John is a Board Member of the Energy Efficiency Council, a Fellow of the Australian CPA’s (FCPA), a graduate of the Australian
Institute of Company Directors (GAICD) and has a Commerce degree from the University of New South Wales. John has a strong background in energy gained
with AGL, Origin and Alinta Energy and new technology start up Pooled Energy. His industry roles have spanned sales, marketing, strategy, service &
operations and business unit P&L accountability including leading engineering services and project teams.
Dr Jill Cainey - General Manager Networks, at Energy Networks Australia, the national industry body representing Australia’s electricity transmission and distribution
and gas distribution networks. Jill works with electricity networks to transform Australia’s electricity system to accommodate new and innovative approaches
to delivering sustainable energy. Jill represented the interests of electricity storage in the UK and Europe and was appointed MBE for services to
Energy Technology in 2017 for work in electricity policy and regulation. Jill also has over 25 years of experience internationally in climate change
and is very interested in the interaction of extreme weather and electricity systems and developing resilient network infrastructure for the future.
Nino Ficca – Nino has extensive senior executive experience in strategic and operational roles within the energy sector, including in the National Electricity
Market and gas markets. He served as Managing Director of AusNet Services Limited and its predecessors, SP AusNet and SPI Powernet, from 2001-19. He
has a deep understanding of energy transmission and distribution grids, and their importance in underpinning effective markets and maintaining secure,
reliable and high-performing systems. He is a current AEMO Board member and is the immediate past Chairman of Energy Networks Australia, and a past
Chair of CIGRE Australia. He is a Non-Executive Director of the Transurban Queensland Group, and Professor, Industry Engagement Deakin University.
Tribute Power Station Alternator Failure
Tribute Power Station Alternator Failure
2 April 2020 - Marc Ransome
Tribute power station was the last of the major hydro power schemes to be developed in Tasmania. The station was commissioned in 1995 and comprises of a single underground 92MVA generating unit. 13.8kV busbars are used to connect the alternator to the above ground setup transformer for connection to the 220kV transmission system.
On the 24th August 2019 a phase-to-phase fault developed on the 13.8kV alternator stator winding, which was correctly detected and cleared by the unit protection schemes. Significant damage was sustained to the alternator, predominately from the large fault currents that flowed to the fault site, resulting in a forced outage of 3½ months for fault investigation and repair.
Prior to the fault the generator was assessed to be in good condition with a remnant life expectancy in excess of 25years and a low probability of failure.
As with any significant failure the question is asked; could this event have been predicted and prevented? This presentation will detail findings of the root cause analysis, the extent of damage sustained and the repairs required to restore this machine.
Marc Ransome, Specialist Engineer, primary electrical - Hydro Tasmania
Marc is responsible for the risk management of the alternators, circuit breaker and overhead services owned and operated by Hydro Tasmania. He has worked with Hydro Tasmania for over 20 years, predominately in production and asset management.