AGL Energy has approved a $63 million project to install a Distributed Control System (DCS) at AGL Macquarie’s Bayswater power station in the NSW Hunter Valley.
The company has chosen Siemens Australia to deliver and maintain the DCS and a simulator training facility. The installation will include Siemens’ DCS SPPA-T3000 control system and SPPA S3000 simulator.
AGL Macquarie General Manager, Mr Ian Brooksbank, described the investment as a “boost for the Hunter economy”.
“The new DCS will enhance safety, improve power station reliability and enable the plant to operate more efficiently,” Mr Brooksbank said.
“It will transform how we operate the plant and perform as a business. Our employees will be using world-leading technology to operate one of Australia’s largest and most important power stations.”
David Pryke, Executive General Manager for Siemens Australia’s Power and Gas Division said installation of the DCS is expected to start in September 2017 during a major maintenance outage on Bayswater Unit 1, and continue on successive planned unit outages until late 2019.
“Cost and resource-efficiency are key concerns for most plant operators. With AGL, we are aiming to deliver benchmark technologies at the Bayswater power station that not only helps plant operators, but also the local and state economies,” Mr Pryke added.
The Bayswater power station was commissioned in 1985-86 and consists of four generating units with a total capacity of 2,640 MW. The facility produces approximately 15,000 GWh of electricity per annum, which is enough to power two million average Australian homes.
