Major projects

Planning for the future – Power and Water’s five-year, $1.526 billion works program

With the growth of the Territory, Power and Water needs to match demand from the growing residential, business and industrial community with reliable power, water and sewerage services.

We live and work in a tough environment with extremes in weather. It is an ongoing challenge to get services ‘on the ground’ where they are required and to meet current and future demand. Some of the Territory's power, water and sewerage infrastructure installed is also now due for major refubishment or replacement and this is also part of this major works program.

The five-year, $1.526 billion investment currently underway to build, upgrade and maintain infrastructure is the largest investment in essential services in the Territory’s history.

Electricity generation

• Owen Springs Power Station - is situated 25km south of Alice Springs. Three new dual fuel reciprocating engines were delivered to site in mid 2010 and progressively installed and commissioned during 2011. High voltage transmission lines have been installed to connect the power station to the Lovegrove Zone Substation in Alice Springs, which is also being upgraded.
• Weddell Power Station - is the largest electricity generation project in the Northern Territory in more than 20 years. In 2008-2009 two 43MW gas generating units were added at Weddell to the Darwin-Katherine electricity grid. When the third set is fully commissioned all three highly efficient machines will operate solely on natural gas, ensuring that Weddell emits less greenhouse gases than other comparable power stations. When complete they will add about 25 per cent to the generation capacity on the Darwin-Katherine power system.
• Rolls Royce turbines for Channel Island Power Station - Installed in 2011 two new Rolls-Royce Trent 60 aero-derivative gas turbine units are now operating at Channel Island Power Station and is the largest electricity source in the NT, for Darwin and Katherine.

Electricity distribution

• The Undergrounding Power Project - The undergrounding power project has connected properties in Nightcliff, Rapid Creek and Millner to an underground power supply. Gradual removal of street power poles is expected to be completed by June 2012.
• Archer Zone Substation - A works program to thoroughly test all zone substation and associated equipment, scheduling repairs, upgrades and maintenance to improve the security of electricity supply across the Northern Territory.
• Progressing Power and Water - Mervyn Davies' Report - A works program to thoroughly test all zone substation and associated equipment, scheduling repairs, upgrades and maintenance to improve the security of electricity supply across the Northern Territory.
• Marrakai Zone Substation - To cater for the growing electricity load in the rural area a new 66/22kV zone substation is being built on the Arnhem Highway near the junction with Marrakai Road. The project involves two 2.5 MVA transformers and turning the 66kV transmission line which runs along the highway between Humpty Doo and Mary River zone substations into the new zone substation.
• Leanyer Zone Substation will reduce the load upon and provide backup to Casuarina Zone Substation and will be an alternative supply route for customers such as the Royal Darwin and Darwin Private Hospitals, the Casuarina commercial precinct and Charles Darwin University.

Water supply

• Darwin CBD water supply enhancement - Darwin's central business district is growing rapidly and new water mains are needed to meet demand. Power and Water has installed 1.2km of pipe along the south side of the Esplanade and Daly Street. Work has now commenced to place 2km of mains along Dinah Beach Road, Duke Street, Burt Street, Day Street and McMinn Street with direct drilling under Daly Street Bridge and McMinn Street. This project will ensure continuing water supply to the CBD, Stuart Park and surrounds.

• Raising the full supply level of Darwin River Dam - he full supply level of Darwin River Dam has been increased by 20 per cent with the raising of the dam spillway by 1.3 metres in 2009 and 2010. This work has increased the capacity of the reservoir, which supplies Darwin, Palmerston and surrounding rural areas. The project was finalised with works on the intake tower in 2011.

• Manton Dam water quality sampling project is ongoing. The project involves the release of water from the dam to the Manton River, and a program of water quality and environmental monitoring. The project will assist Power and Water in its understanding of the behaviour of the reservoir and the variability of water quality. This will assist Power and Water to consider how and when Manton Dam may be returned to service as part of the Darwin Region Water Supply Source Strategy as well as its use as an emergency supply.

Sewerage services

• Larrakeyah Outfall Closure Plan - Power and Water is progressing works to allow the closure of the Larrakeyah sewerage outfall by diverting flows to the Ludmilla wastewater treatment plant. Sewer diversion works under Darwin CBD are complete. Ludmilla wastewater treatment plant will be upgraded in two stages in during the dry season.
• Water Reuse in the Alice Project - The Alice Springs Water Reclamation Plant, which has won a national Engineers Australia Award, was opened in May 2008 and can recycle up to 600 mega litres of water a year - a valuable resource in the desert town.