Day two - Thursday, 13 June

08:30
Welcome coffee
08:50
Opening remarks from the chair

David Pointing
Chief Executive Officer
Australian Power Institute

Electrical engineering for the integrated plant
09:00
INTERNATIONAL ADDRESS: Ensuring seamless operation during upgrades of rotary/turbine generation equipment
  • Implementing switchgear upgrades on critical infrastructure assets, while maintaining excellent reliability during electrical equipment upgrades
  • Improving equipment efficiency through strategic maintenance practices, minimising the need for extended shutdowns
  • Ensuring excellent safety standards and compliance during the upgrading of power generation equipment

Malcolm Bambling
Senior Manager Central Power Plant
University of Michigan (USA)

09:30
PANEL DISCUSSION: Making informed decisions about whether to repair, replace, or run equipment to death
  • Is it possible to revive and thrive? Can repair trump brand new?
  • What considerations are given to environmental sustainability when deciding between repairing, replacing, or running equipment until the end of its life?
  • Weighing potential downtime during repairs against the benefits of extending its operational life
  • How valuable are data analytics and condition monitoring to making decisions about equipment maintenance?

Moderator:

Victor Edo
Senior Electrical Engineer - Capital Projects
Alcoa

Panellists:

Martin Boettcher
Lead Asset Engineer
Ventia Engineering

Tony O’Brien
Managing Director
Australian Winders

Kate Summers
Principal Consultant
Ekistica

10:10
Optimising performance in infrastructure project delivery - elevating the key performance measures when delivering essential energy transition projects

David O’Hara
General Manager-Projects
Transgrid

10:40
Morning tea in the expo hall
11:10
Investigating the significance of high voltage testing: Insights from case studies
  • Partial Discharge (PD) Analysis of 11kV/3.9MW High-Voltage Motor
  • Investigation of 33kV Switchboard High Voltage Withstand Test Failure
  • Investigation of a 230kV/16.5kV/255MVA Generator Transformer post-Lightning Strike

Nishan Wettasinghe
Director, Principal Engineer
Spring Power Solutions

11:30
Screening of large medium voltage network using AI as an engineering tool
  • Existing continuous monitoring challenges on large medium voltage networks
  • Taking advantage of the physical principles to simplify the monitoring system requirements
  • How AI is helping us in processing large amounts of data point
  • Real life example

Luca Garagnani
Chief Operating Officer, OptMonitor
machinemonitor®

12:00
Networking lunch in the expo hall
Challenges in distributed renewable energy generation, transmission
13:00
Operating the current power system and preparing for the future state
  • Continuously monitoring power systems to ensure ongoing stability and reliability
  • Implementing proactive maintenance strategies to sustain the robustness of power systems
  • Anticipating future technological advancements to stay ahead in power system readiness

Robbie Aherne
General Manager of System Resilience
Transgrid

13:30
PANEL DISCUSSION: How is the energy transition and electrification of everything impacting the engineering workforce?
  • What role does power electronics play in this transformation?
  • What measures are being taken to ensure that the engineering workforce is adequately prepared for the changes brought about by electrification, the energy transition, and the integration of power electronics?
  • What challenges and opportunities does the energy transition, coupled with advancements in power electronics, pose for electrical engineers working in power generation and distribution?
  • What innovations and technologies, particularly those in power electronics, are emerging in response to the evolving landscape of the energy transition?

Panellists:

Jason Krstanoski
General Manager – Network Operations
Transgrid

Malcolm Ballinger
Principal Electrical Engineer - Energy Hubs
AGL

Dane Thomas
Manager Isolated Networks
Energy Queensland

Kate Summers
Principal Consultant
Ekistica

David Pointing
Chief Executive Officer
Australian Power Institute

14:10
Afternoon tea in the expo hall
Prioritising safety: ensuring a safe working environment for electrical engineers
14:40
Safety considerations and protection strategies in HV switchboard design
  • Non-intrusive methods of condition-based monitoring of HV switchgears
  • Hazard risk assessments for arc flash prevention and mitigation and upgrading equipment capabilities to prevent failures in the facility
  • Case study of a MV switchboard upgrade implementing the above strategies
  • Case study of a switchboard failure from a 1985 modification leading to a 2013 turbo generator oil starvation event

Malcolm Ballinger
Principal Electrical Engineer - Energy Hubs
AGL

15:10
Risk Radar: Navigating operational hazards and risk assessment
  • Identifying potential hazards and assessing risks
  • Employing risk assessment tools to identify and quantify potential hazard
  • Lessons from recent safety incidents

David Cliff
Professorial Research Fellow- Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre- Sustainable Minerals Institute
University of Queensland

15:40
Closing remarks from the Chair
15:45
End of Machines2024