Major projects

Planning for the future – Power and Water’s five year, $1.5 billion investment

With the Territory booming ahead, Power and Water needs to be able to provide a growing residential, business and industrial community with reliable power, water and sewerage services.

We live and work in a tough environment with severe extremes in weather. It is an ongoing challenge to get services ‘on the ground’ where they are required and to meet current and future demand. Day to day power demand is expected to grow by 7.1% within 12 months (peak demand by 2.5%) and water by 1.5%.

The five year, $1.5 billion investment in building, upgrading and maintaining facilities is the largest investment in essential services in the Territory’s history.

Major projects include:

• Weddell Power Station
• Manton Dam Pumpstation and transmission main
• Additional generation capacity in Darwin
• Owen Springs Power Station
• Leanyer Zone Substation and adjoining 66kV transmission line
• Manton Dam upgrade for service
• Darwin undergrounding of powerlines
• Ben Hammond Complex Redevelopment - Stages 3, 4 and 5
• Norris Bell Zone Substation and Alice Springs transmission line at Owen Springs
• Alice Springs CBD Zone Substation
• East Point rising main and extend outfall
• Sewer Relining Program

Current Power and Water major projects:

• Darwin CBD Water Supply Enhancement - Darwin's central business district is growing rapidly and new water mains are needed to meet demand. Power and Water is installing 1.2km of pipe along the south side of the Esplanade and Daly Street between September 2009 and February 2010. From March to August 2010, Power and Water will place 9km of mains along Dinah Beach Road, Duke Street, Burt Street, Daly Street and McMinn Street. This project will ensure continuing water supply to the CBD, Stuart Park and surrounds.
• Assessment of Water Quality in Northern Territory Outstations/Homelands - The NT Government Outstations and Homelands Headline Policy Statement includes Criteria for Support regarding the adequate supply of potable water and assistance with the development of management plans.
• Transmission Water Main to Palmerston - Power and Water is installing a new 4.2 kilometre transmission water main as part of its 2008 Capital Works Program. The main will extend from Howard Springs Road to Temple Terrace, then along Temple Terrace from the Stuart Highway to Roystonia Avenue.
• Manton Dam Water Quality Sampling Project is continuing in 2009. The project involves the release of water from the dam to the Manton River, and a program of water quality and environmental monitoring. The project will assist Power and Water in its understanding of the behaviour of the reservoir and the variability of water quality. This will assist Power and Water to consider how and when Manton Dam may be returned to service as part of the Darwin Region Water Supply Source Strategy as well as its use as an emergency supply.
• Larrakeyah Outfall Closure Plan - Power and Water is undertaking a program of works to allow the closure of the Larrakeyah sewerage outfall by 2011, in accordance with its wastewater discharge licence. It is part of the Darwin Sewerage Strategy.
• Raising the Full Supply Level of Darwin River Dam - Darwin River Dam is closed to the public while works to increase its capacity by 20 per cent take place. This is needed to meet the increasing demand in Darwin, Palmerston and surrounding rural areas.
• The Undergrounding Power Project has been completed in Nightcliff with 698 properties now having underground power. Work to underground the power supply to 676 properties in Rapid Creek was completed in 2009. Commissioning and changeovers has started in Rapid Creek and currently about 30 percent of properties have been changed over to underground power, with the whole suburb due to be completed by April 2010. Construction has been completed for 668 properties in Millner, which will be the next suburb scheduled for changeover to undergrounding power and will continue through to June 2010.
• Archer Zone Substation - The substation will provide for alternative power supply (and capacity) to Palmerston at 11kV. This is required to provide for increased system security and redundancy, and to service increased load growth in the area resulting from developments such as Robertson Barracks, expansion of the Palmerston Shopping Centre, numerous new developments in the Palmerston CBD and extensive residential subdivisions. The substation will initially be comprised of 1 x 27 MVA transformer and be designed for an ultimate configuration of 3 x 27 MVA transformers.
• Owen Springs Power Station - This new power station outside Alice Springs has been built to meet the town’s future electricity needs. The Taurus 60 generator from Ron Goodin power station was relocated to Owen Springs in June 2009 and has been recommissioned on natural gas. Support infrastructure will be built over the next year and two new gas turbines installed at the site.
• Solar Dishes at Hermannsburg, Lajamanu and Yuendumu
• Weddell Power Station - The largest electricity generation project in the Territory in 20 years, Weddell Power Station is now operating. Two efficient, gas-powered 43MW gas turbines were commissioned this year. Tenders are soon to go out for the third generator, to capture and be powered by the heat from the first two.
• Water Reuse in the Alice Project - The Alice Springs Water Reclamation Plant was officially opened in May 2008 and initially the project will recycle up to 600 mega litres of water a year.
• Progressing Power and Water - Mervyn Davies' Report - Implementation of the recommendations.
• Upgrade of West Bennett Switching Station - This project involves replacing the building, constructing a cable tunnel in West Lane and replacement of the ageing 11kV switchboard in the switching station. The works are expected to be completed in June 2010.
• Upgrade of Woods Street Switching Station - Building alterations are required to make room for new switchgear and a capacitor bank. Works will also include replacing the ageing 11kV switchboard and is expected to be completed by May 2010.
• Upgrade of Express Feeders to the CBD Switching Stations - With the completion of a 1000A express feeder from Frances Bay Zone Substation to Mitchell Street Switching Station, the express feeders to the other four switching stations will be upgraded to 1000A by mid 2011. Similarly, the ageing express feeders from City Zone Substation to all five switching stations will be replaced with 1000A express feeders by late 2011.– With the completion of a 1000A express feeder from Frances Bay Zone Substation to Mitchell Street Switching Station, the express feeders to the other four switching stations will be upgraded to 1000A by mid 2011. Similarly, the ageing express feeders from City Zone Substation to all five switching stations will be replaced with 1000A express feeders by late 2011.
• Marrakai Zone Substation - The project involves the construction of a 66/22kV zone substation on the Arnhem Highway near the junction with Marrakai Road, with two 2.5 MVA transformers, and turning the 66kV transmission line which runs along the highway between Humpty Doo and Mary River substations into the new substation. This project will service expected load growth in the area and improve system security and redundancy.