Hydro Tasmania has delivered $17.5 million in upgrades to its No. 1 machine at Trevallyn Power Station, improving operational efficiency and extending its lifespan by 30 years.
Commissioned in 1955, the station houses four Francis turbines, generating 450GWh per year or five per cent of Hydro Tasmania’s average annual output of 9,000GWh.
The $17.5 million refurbishment of the No. 1 machine increased its lifespan, allowing it to produce clean, renewable energy for another 30 years.
The upgrade also resulted in a five per cent increase in machine efficiency, meaning it can now produce more electricity with the same amount of water.
Hydro Tasmania and its consulting firm Entura completed the refurbishment work of the No. 1 machine with the assistance of many other Tasmanian companies including PSL Project Services, RBD Electrical, and Tamar Engineering.
Hydro Tasmania Chief Executive Officer, Ian Brooksbank, said maintaining the long-term capability of the Tasmanian hydropower system remained critical to delivering renewable energy for the state, and for the National Electricity Market.
“Refurbishing an asset of this size and complexity is no easy feat. It involved a full machine strip down to the spiral casing, and then a rebuild which included a new control system, excitation system, governor, and electrical protection,” Mr Brooksbank said.
“So I want to congratulate the team on their hard work over the past 21 months to complete this significant project, one of several that our Assets and Infrastructure division is delivering.”
Hydro Tasmania plans to spend approximately $100 million to $110 million per annum for the next ten years bringing out the best in its significant asset portfolio.
