The Shoalhaven Pumped Hydro Scheme (SPHS) was designed in the late-1960s and constructed in 1977. It then spent 45 years of uninterrupted operation with hardly an upgrade or overhaul. That was, until Motion’s Engineering and Services Team was contracted to help with a facelift.
The Reservoir sits 600 metres above the NSW based power station and the former feeds the latter to power the National Electricity Market.
In 2022, Motion was approached by the operator to give the reservoir an upgrade - from design to installation and commissioning. Motion specialises in hydraulics, motion control and cryogenic equipment, among other engineering services, so this project was perfect for their in-house mechanical, electrical and software engineers.
A project of this stature calls for a range of disciplines, but Motion had a clear advantage, according to Motion Engineering Coordinator, Brendan Howe.
“There aren’t many companies out there that can handle the design, manufacture, electrics, installation, and site commissioning. So, that was one of the key selling points to us winning the contract,” Brendan says.
“Finding someone that can do hydraulics and electrics is uncommon. We’re probably one of the few in Australia that can do it.”
While the old design was serviceable for the power station, it was certainly coming to the end of its life.
Rust, contamination, and degradation had begun to take their toll, and it was time for Motion’s Engineering and Services Team to innovate and introduce new approaches.
“It now operates significantly more consistently than the previous iteration and it’s all delivered in a much neater package,” Brendan explains. “It’s also a lot more user-friendly than before.”
To carry out such a wide range of services, Motion had to consult with a wide range of stakeholders. This naturally took its time, but Brendan emphasises that it was all worth the wait watching it come together.
“We had to coordinate with the customer, the station owner, and the landowner,” he says.
“Once everyone was happy with the componentry and design, we pushed on and rolled out a really neat project that will benefit the state’s critical infrastructure.”
Plans to expand the SPHS have been ongoing, which would involve a new underground pumped hydroelectric power station.
Having received positive feedback on the project, Brendan is hoping Motion can win further work on this pivotal piece of infrastructure.
“They were very happy with how it all came together, and they were impressed that we could do it all in-house,” he states.
“Hence, we’re hopeful that we can deliver more good work for them in the future.”
The current SPHS consists of 240MW of combined power generation, and the proposed expansion would almost double this, adding 235MW of new capacity.