CASE STUDY
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tanwell Power Station is a highly-automated station recognised
as one of the most efficient and economic coal-fired power stations
in Australia. Owned by Stanwell Corporation Limited who, with an
extensive power generation and energy infrastructure portfolio across
Queensland, has a wealth of experience in the supply of energy.
The station is located approximately 23 kilometres south-west of
Rockhampton, Queensland and is one of Stanwell’s major operating
sites.
With the capacity to generate 1460 megawatts using four power
generation units, Stanwell Power Station supplies approximately 15
percent of Queensland’s annual electricity demands by burning low
sulphur black coal.
Constantly aiming to ensure a reliable, secure and affordable electricity
supply, Stanwell Power Station has positioned itself as one of Australia’s
leading power generation sites, regularly distributing electricity to
customers not only in Queensland, but throughout the country to the
National Electricity Market.
After assessing the status of all equipment to ensure aspects were
functioning at the optimum levels as part of a plant-wide upgrade, it
was determined that the Stanwell Power Station required a replacement
of their 415V Air Circuit Breaker (ACB) for Unit 415V Switchboard, and
Ash and Dust 415V Switchboard.
The existing ACBs had been in service since the units at Stanwell were
first commissioned in 1993 and were experiencing reliability issues
due to aging component failure. As well as this, they were difficult to
maintain due to the unavailability of spare parts and support from the
OEM.
With safety and operational efficiency taking priority, the decision to
retrofit the ACBs installed in the plant was made, and Stanwell saw NHP
as the preferred choice to perform the services required for the upgrade.
The NHP Service Team removed the legacy ACBs, retrofitting them with
2000A and 3200A Terasaki AR ACBs which incorporated the premium
model AGR31C protection relay with integrated 3C over temperature
protection. 3C over temperature protection is a breakthrough self-
monitoring temperature system for checking the condition of the AR
ACBs main contacts and conductive path and sets industry leading
standards without compromise.
To assist with the retrofit, NHP used CAD designed Conversion/
Upgrade Kits made specifically for NHP Terasaki ACBs. These kits are
fully engineered, removing the need for onsite busbar bending and
alteration. The kits come fully prefabricated to convert the new ACB
connections to match the old ACB connections precisely, allowing fast
and smooth integration within existing infrastructure.
NHP’s compliance with the technical specifications of the existing ACBs
and the added capacity for trusted technical support, maintenance and
a reliable spare parts supply gave a quick and seamless installation with
the right backup and on-site training.
Being the only authorised and trained Australian and New Zealand
Terasaki distributor and service agent, NHP’s Service Team have been
specifically trained by Terasaki to deliver best practice services from
concept design through to installation and after-sales service. On-site
training was delivered to ensure the Stanwell electricians were well
equipped for the new ACBs, demonstrating NHP’s commitment to
deliver industry-leading support.
“With a strong focus on minimising operational risks and enhancing
personnel safety on the site, the ACB upgrade was embarked on to ensure
any faulty or unreliable tripping and reset mechanisms which can often be
associated with aging ACBs were resolved,” said James Huf, NHP’s Service
Technician.
“Our Service Team are specifically trained in modernising protection systems
with a future proof solution to increase overall system reliability and plant
safety. We were confident in the retrofit product sourced from one of our
global partners which we customised to the local standards and further
tailored to Stanwell’s needs,” continued Huf.
With Stage 1 of the project now successfully completed, attention turns
to the eventual completion of the remainder of Stanwell Power Station’s
onsite power generation units.
NHP looks forward to playing an important role to help shape and
transform one of Australia’s leading power stations as it continues to set
the benchmark for efficient and reliable electricity generation into the
future.
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