The project involved the design, construction, and commissioning of synchronous condensers at Robertstown Substation to enhance system strength and support South Australia’s renewable energy transition.
The customer
ElectraNet delivers safe, affordable and reliable solutions to power South Australian homes and businesses. Their transmission network is a crucial part of the electricity supply chain and is used to safely deliver electricity throughout South Australia including regional and remote areas.
"By strengthening the grid with synchronous condensers, ElectraNet ensures a secure, sustainable power supply for South Australians while delivering cost savings to both residential and larger customers."
The opportunity
The rapid adoption of renewable energy generation sources has the potential to impact system strength and create a shortfall due to differences in how these sources generate and connect to the grid compared to traditional sources, making it harder to respond to fluctuations in supply and demand.
While transitioning to more sustainable power sources is important for Australia’s future, ensuring a secure power supply requires both system strength and inertia. After exploring various options, ElectraNet received regulatory approval to install two synchronous condensers at Robertstown Substation, 130km north of Adelaide, to address these challenges.
The solution
Enerven handled the design, construction, and commissioning required for the installation of synchronous condensers at Robertstown Substation. This involved augmenting the existing substation to support the new equipment, including extending the facility with two new diameters, one for each condenser.
With extensive experience in complex brownfield infrastructure projects, Enerven successfully leveraged its deep understanding of ElectraNet’s systems to deliver the project. The work supported approximately 100 local jobs, with regional contractors involved in completing the project.
In addition to strengthening the grid, the synchronous condensers are expected to provide a net saving of $3-$5 per year for typical residential electricity bills, with larger savings for bigger customers, by reducing the need for costly interventions from AEMO to manage system strength shortfalls.
Why Enerven?
Our experience in the market place, combined with the expertise and industry knowledge of our team, makes Enerven’s offering second to none – which is why industry leaders such as Electranet, Transgrid, AGL and BHP Billiton trust Enerven with their energy infrastructure assets.
We invest heavily in the best equipment and the professional development of our staff, which means we combine experience and history with innovation and technology to deliver solutions that address the evolving energy distribution requirements of the community.
With a strong supplier and partner network behind us, our highly skilled staff work closely with you to fully understand your specific needs and vision, and will tailor a solution to suit.
Delivering the highest standard of work in a safe and environmentally sustainable manner is our top priority, and we have an outstanding track record to prove it. We focus on building long-term relationships with our clients, we’re committed to working with you for the lifecycle of your project and beyond.
Find out how Enerven can help on your next project.
