Testing starts on Alice power network

23 May 2011

At Owen Springs Power Station, the installation of three new gas-fuelled engines is complete.

Two 66,000 volt power circuits have been built to connect the new power station to the town 25km away.

Lovegrove Zone Substation has been upgraded to transform the power from 66,000 volts to 22,000 volts, suitable for distribution in town.

For the first time all the separate system components will work together to deliver electricity to Alice Springs.

Area Manager Alan Whyte said the testing process was expected to take about a month, all going well.

Each section of the new system – from the power station, substations, sections of underground cabling and overhead powerlines – has been through isolated testing.

“We are ready now to test the system as a whole, finally putting a full load onto it from the new power station,” Mr Whyte said.

“This testing is an essential part of the process to ensure the new power system is safe and robust.

“We do need our customers to be aware that some power outages may occur during the process, we’re prepared for this and ready to minimise the duration should that happen.

"We're really excited about this project and what it means for the future power supply of Alice Springs so we thank our customers for their understanding through this process.”

For more information on the Owen Springs Power project story go to www.powerwater.com.au/about_us/major_projects/