Snowy Hydro Provides Peak Demand Power Using $12 Million Control Systems Solution from Rockwell Automation

MILWAUKEE.— As part of a $12 million order from an electric power company, Rockwell Automation has supplied 15 of the 33 new control systems planned for Snowy Hydro Limited, owner and operator of the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme in Australia. The new control systems, to be located at seven different sites in the Snowy Mountains on the east coast of Australia, help Snowy Hydro improve revenues and control costs.

“The enhanced monitoring and control is a key factor in delivering efficiencies and high-service availability in the highly competitive national electricity market in which we operate,” said Darryl Eager, Snowy Hydro manager of Controls Technology. “Establishing greater connectivity between different systems provides us with the controls and plant reliability that are essential to customer satisfaction and our continued success. Using its integrated architecture driven by Allen‑Bradley ControlLogix programmable automation controllers, the Rockwell Automation solution provides unrivaled connectivity via a wide range of communications protocols.”

“We developed a value engineering process based on Snowy Hydro’s project objectives, and designed an innovative team and solution to meet the project’s requirements,” said Terry Gebert, vice president and general manager, Rockwell Automation Systems and Solutions business. “As the emphasis moved to cost reduction and efficiencies, our team adapted to help Snowy Hydro meet its revised objectives.”

Gebert said the first five of the 11 systems have been successfully installed and returned to service, and system manufacturing is well ahead of the site installations.

“Rockwell Automation went to great lengths to establish and maintain a close working relationship with Snowy Hydro, using an integrated project management approach,” said Eager. “The system design tools were carefully selected to provide ongoing efficiency improvements over the duration of the project.”

The controls upgrade work is expected to be completed in 2012. The Scheme consists of a network of seven power stations, 31 generating units, a pumping station, two pump units, 16 dams and 130 miles of tunnels and aqueducts in New South Wales, Australia.