Power and Water has outlined its $215 million annual capital program for the Northern Territory’s power and water supply at the Northern Territory Major Projects conference.
Power and Water Regions and Remote Operations General Manager, David Coucill, told the conference that the corporation’s capital works program is designed to ensure continued delivery of safe and reliable water and electricity services for all Territorians.
Mr Coucill said one of Power and Water’s biggest projects, Solar SETuP (Solar Energy Transformation Program), would transform the way power is delivered to remote communities by incorporating solar power to reduce reliance on diesel.
With the support of the Northern Territory Government and Australian Government through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), Power and Water will deliver the $55 million wide-scale rollout of 10MW of solar systems across 29 remote Indigenous communities.
“The installation of integrated electricity supply will reduce emissions and local pollution with fewer fuel trucks and barges visiting the communities,” Mr Coucill said.
“Solar SETuP installations in these unique and vast environments demonstrate how remote communities are paving the way to create a more reliable, cleaner, greener future for the Northern Territory.”
Mr Coucill said Power and Water was committed to continually improving activities relating to drinking water quality, and is investing $6.4 million to upgrade the Borroloola Water Treatment Plant to ensure high-quality, safe drinking water continues to be delivered for the township and surrounding communities.
“The Borroloola water treatment upgrade project is designed to not only improve the water quality for the town, but also to ensure continued reliable water supply to the town as it grows,” Mr Coucill said.
Contractors are expected on site from late October 2017 to start the civil works, which is scheduled for completion within eight to ten weeks.
Power and Water’s $67 million major power network zone substation replacement program was also presented.
“The zone substation upgrade has been a seven year process. It is nearing completion with the re-commissioning of the Casuarina Zone Substation in the coming weeks. The massive scope of works will ensure continued safe and reliable power supply networks across the Territory,” Mr Coucill said.
Another $5.16 million is being invested in the Humpty Doo Sewage Pumping Station project, which has contracted 12 local businesses to complete the works and grow the sewerage network capability.
Finally, Mr Coucill said the $8.1 million project to replace the transmission lines from the Channel Island Power Station, across the Elizabeth River would involve using helicopters and world class operators to string the lines between the new poles.
“We are improving the capacity and security of the existing 132kV Channel Island Power Station crossing over Elizabeth River to be Category four cyclone rated. This will reduce significant risk of critical transmission power failure during a cyclone.”
Alongside this ongoing work, Power and Water has continued to upgrade water treatment facilities with recent projects including the multi award winning first biological iron removal system in Australia to improve water quality at Adelaide River.
In remote communities investment has included upgrading the Maningrida sewer system and a new dual reticulation system installed at Yuelamu, which means the surface water source is no longer relied on.
The chlorine disinfection system at Robinson River was upgraded and construction of a new water treatment plant at is underway in Borroloola.
At Bulla, a UV disinfection system with SCADA connection has been installed and the chlorine disinfection system upgraded.
A new water supply at Barunga, which includes an online chlorine analyser and recirculation system, will soon be completed along with a new water bore at Ngukurr to improve water safety and reliability.
