Port Augusta, a hybrid wind-solar project in Australia

Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park (PAREP) is Iberdrola’s first renewable energy park in Australia.
It features 50 wind turbines and 250,000 solar panels, along with the corresponding infrastructure, resulting in a total installed capacity of almost 320 megawatts (MW) of clean renewable energy. It generates enough clean energy to meet the annual needs of 180,000 Australian households, helping to reduce the price of electricity for consumers and decarbonize the economy with annual emissions savings of approximately 400,000 metric tons of CO2.

Elecnor is one of the leading corporations in the development, construction and operation of projects through two mutually enriching business areas: Infrastructure and concessions.
Infrastructure, renewable energy and new technologies are the main areas of activity in which the infrastructure and concessions businesses participate.
In Australia, Elecnor, through from its local subsidiary Greenlight Contractors, acted as EPC, BOP, civil engineering and electromechanical design for this pioneering project, which, when completed, will be one of the largest hybrid renewable energy plants in the Southern Hemisphere.

Connection to the electricity grid poses one of the most prominent challenges for energy projects in general, and renewable energy projects in particular.

This process was made particularly challenging by the September blackout that South Australia experienced in September 2016, which resulted in significant changes to the National Electricity Regulation (NER), which dictates the conditions associated with connection to the National Electricity Market (NEM).

Furthermore, large-scale hybrid projects such as PAREP, which encompass both wind and solar generation, require meticulous planning and execution to ensure a successful project within schedule and on budget. This required close collaboration and open communication between the groups involved, Elecnor, the substation manufacturer PSD Energy, and Ormazabal.

“The main challenge of the project was the flexibility required in a rapidly evolving environment. Ormazabal helped us enormously with its ability to respond to customer queries in a timely manner, in a collaborative and proactive manner.” Carlos Felipe del Valle Sierra, Lead Project Manager – Elecnor

Ormazabal Australia supplied 31 units of 36kV 2500A 31.5kA 1s, IAC AFLR 31.5kA/1s cpg .0 switchgear for the grid connection station. The 31 cpg .0 cells were divided into 3 separate, interconnected distribution boards in a combined 25-meter-long distribution room.

Ormazabal Solution:

For the project, Elecnor also decided to directly purchase and supply protection systems to the Ormazabal factory free of charge. Ormazabal subsequently incorporated this requirement into its manufacturing plan, highlighting its ability to adapt to the client’s different requirements.

Ormazabal has extensive experience in supplying grid connection panels. In addition to supplying switchgear for the project, Ormazabal’s scope also included collaborating with substation manufacturer PSD Energy with the shared goal of delivering a complete, factory-tested switchgear prior to shipment to the remote Port Augusta site some 300km away. Forced into constraints due to COVID-19 restrictions, the project also benefited from employing local labor to carry out the switchgear installation under the direct supervision of Ormazabal. Systematic training and supervision of PSD Energy’s expert staff enabled a coordinated installation of the switchgear while the substation was being constructed and equipped, with the direct benefit of reduced lead times for the client. The cpg.0 switchgear also included Ormazabal’s IAC stack system integrated into the design for venting gases out of the substation, ensuring a safe environment for the project’s personnel. operator.

Ormazabal carried out the first initial factory acceptance test at its factory in Boroa, Spain. This enabled European colleagues from both Elecnor and Iberdrola to inspect the switchgear prior to sea transport. Ormazabal’s logistics team packed and delivered the switchgear in four 40-foot HC containers.

Following international transport, the factory acceptance test was followed by a second, more in-depth test at the switchgear manufacturing facility in Adelaide. In addition to the initial standard electrical and mechanical factory tests conducted in Australia to identify potential issues prior to final shipment to Iberdrola’s Port Augusta site, a 56kV, 1-minute high-power test was also performed on all switchgear. This served to provide certainty to the customer prior to shipment and mitigate any risk of delays during final commissioning.

The installation of the 31 primary switchgear, including the first factory acceptance test, was completed within 4 weeks. A final on-site acceptance test was also conducted to finalize the quality assurance process.

Ormazabal Challenge:

Connection to the electricity grid poses one of the most significant challenges for energy projects in general, and renewable energy projects in particular.

This process was made particularly challenging by the September blackout that hit South Australia in September 2016, which resulted in significant changes to the National Electricity Regulation (NER), which dictates the conditions associated with connection to the National Electricity Market (NEM).

Furthermore, large-scale hybrid projects such as PAREP, which encompass both wind and solar generation, require meticulous planning and execution to ensure a successful project on schedule and on budget. This required close collaboration and open communication between the groups involved, Elecnor, the substation manufacturer PSD Energy, and Ormazabal.

Key benefits for the client:

• Ormazabal’s extensive experience in supplying connection points enabled a flexible and pragmatic approach to achieving timely project success in a rapidly evolving environment.
• The solid insulated busbar system used in the cpg .0 solution negates the need to work with SF6 gas during switchgear installation. This simplified installation during substation fit-out, thus saving significant time.
• The combination of Ormazabal’s well-documented training and supervision with contracted local partners who are fully familiar with local requirements, e.g. PSD Energy, meant we could be flexible throughout the project regarding changes in scope.
• The partnership with the substation manufacturer ensured that switchgear installation could begin during substation fit-out, resulting in significant time savings for Elecnor.