Melbourne Water Thomson Dam Hydro

Client

Melbourne Water

Locations

Melbourne, Australia

Core Capabilities

Control Narrative & Design Support
CHAZOP Facilitation
PLC Integration
SCADA Integration
RMU & HV Protection Integration
Electrical Installation Support
Commissioning
As‑Built Documentation

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Project Overview

The Thomson Dam is Melbourne’s largest reservoir, an earth and rockfill embankment dam in Victoria, Australia, providing about 60% of the city’s water supply.

It is notable for its massive capacity, over 1 million megalitres, and for being the last major dam constructed for Melbourne’s water system, playing a crucial role in securing water from the Thomson River catchment. The dam also includes a 7.4-MW hydroelectric power station installed in 1989 and upgraded in 2012.

Located about 130 km east of Melbourne, the facility generates renewable energy as water is released from the reservoir through the Melbourne Water supply network, contributing both to the reliability of water storage and to sustainable energy production.

Scope of works

Synertec integrated and commissioned new electrical works into the existing Hydro plant at Thomson Dam, including software integration through SFPJV Major Capital Works for MW.

To address low voltage and power factor issues during high generation periods, a bespoke multistage capacitor system was installed, comprising two 300kVar stages and one 600kVar stage.

Controlled by Hydro PLC logic rather than conventional PFC controllers, the system improves voltage regulation and power factor, ensuring stable power delivery to the Ausnet network.

A new RMU connects the PFC system to the hydro generator and upstream network, while integrated HV protection relays provide safe operation with full visibility via MW SCADA

Synertec's Solution

Synertec delivered a comprehensive implementation, integration, and commissioning solution to support Melbourne Water’s upgrade of the Thomson Dam hydroelectric facility. Working within the design parameters established by the SFPJV Major Capital Works program, Synertec focused on ensuring the new electrical and Power Factor Correction (PFC) infrastructure was seamlessly integrated into the existing hydro plant control environment, operating safely, reliably, and in full accordance with Melbourne Water’s operational standards.

Key elements of Synertec’s delivery included:

Control Narrative & Design Support

Development of detailed control narratives and supporting design documentation to guide system behaviour and ensure clarity across all engineering interfaces.

CHAZOP Facilitation

Coordination and facilitation of a Control HAZOP to validate design assumptions, identify risks, and strengthen the overall control system design.

PLC Integration

Development and deployment of Hydro PLC logic to monitor and control all PFC stages, ensuring robust and dependable system operation.

SCADA Integration

Configuration, testing, and verification of SCADA functionality to provide full visibility of PFC status, capacitor staging, alarms, and network conditions within Melbourne Water’s operational environment.

RMU & HV Protection Integration

Implementation and commissioning of the new Ring Main Unit (RMU) and associated high-voltage protection relays, ensuring correct interfacing of all protection functions, alarms, and status signals with the hydro plant systems.

Electrical Installation Support

Oversight of installation activities and functional testing of PFC equipment, low-voltage connections, and high-voltage interfaces to confirm compliance with Melbourne Water standards and performance expectations.

Commissioning

End-to-end site commissioning including I/O verification, functional testing, staged energisation, and final performance testing in collaboration with plant operations and network conditions.

As-Built Documentation

Production and updating of complete As-Built drawings and documentation sets covering new control logic, hardware interfaces, protection schemes, and SCADA configurations.