CABLE INSTALLATION -
PORT AUGUSTA
Client: Elecnor Australia
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Location: Port Augusta (South Australia)
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Service: New 50 tower (210MW) wind farm
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Date started: February 2021
Date completed: November 2021
​Challenges
Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park (PAREP) was designed to be installed near the site of the decommissioned coal fired power station located to the south of Port Augusta and was designed to tie into the existing substation located there. The 50 wind towers were installed on both sides of the highway and train line running from Adelaide to Port Augusta. This required the installation of 105kms of 33kV cables direct buried in trenches.
As part of the project, Tesmec also installed 3kms of direct buried 275kV high voltage transmission cable, connecting the new wind farm substation to the existing substation and power network.
This was the first project executed by Elecnor in Australia. Tesmec worked closely with Elecnor to assist them with the delivery of the project and helped them to navigate Australia’s working conditions.
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Solution
Tesmec proposed the use of a multiple crews, simultaneously working with ST2 and SMC trenchers. Tesmec’s mobile drum carriers, each able to carry 3 drums weighing up to 20T, were critical in the delivery of the long trunk runs back to the substation, reducing the number of cable joints required.
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​Result
The utilisation of multiple crews and Tesmec’s laying box technology enabled the installation of over 50km in the last 2 months of the project, enabling Elecnor to deliver their project on time even after delays to the start of the project.
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Key fact
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110km of trenching,
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Multiple trench crossings of the railway and highway
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Key equipment used:
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SMC trencher
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Laying box