Refurbishment & modernisation | Australia


Above: A view of the dam on the river Tummel at Pitlochry in Scotland


investment was one of the company’s largest ever for its hydro fleet, and involved replacement of the station’s two original Camel Back twin-runner, horizontal Francis turbines with new modern runner technology, extending the hydro power plant’s working life by at least 40 years. Commissioned in 1933, Tummel Bridge Power Station is one of the oldest hydro power plants in Scotland and is at the centre of the overall Tummel Valley Hydro Scheme Cascade. Housed within an iconic Category A listed structure,


it currently delivers around 140GWh each year and plays an important strategic role in efficiently moving water onwards to the Clunie and Pitlochry power stations.


“Refurbishment schemes like Tummel Bridge are


Below: AECOM has been appointment as the dams engineering services provider for Seqwater’s Dam Improvement Programme in Queensland. Upgrades will be carried out at North Pine Dam. Photo by Seqwater


an integral piece of our low carbon future. Retrofitting existing energy assets with modern, highly efficient equipment, rather than rebuilding them, brings added value for our clients as well as the communities they serve,” said Craig Scott, Director of Hydropower at Stantec.


Other Scottish based supply chains firms involved


in project delivery here included Global Energy Group which was responsible for forebay stoplog fabrication and tailrace gate modifications, while Rosyth-based KAEFER oversaw corrosion protection works on the penstocks and water intake structures.


In Australia, AECOM has been appointment as the dams engineering services provider for Seqwater’s Dam Improvement Programme in Queensland, and will include the next tranche of upgrades on Wivenhoe, Somerset and North Pine Dams. Enabling works are expected to commence on-site at Somerset Dam this year as part of the first stage of its upgrade. Staged strengthening works are also expected to commence at North Pine Dam to deliver enhanced safety benefits ahead of the major upgrade, and geotechnical investigations at Wivenhoe Dam concluded in late 2024. The Lake Macdonald Dam Improvement Project is also part of Seqwater’s Dam Improvement Programme and will enhance water security, enabling the dam to withstand future extreme weather events. Works including aquatic fauna surveys and the construction of haul roads and office buildings commenced in November 2024 to prepare the site for major construction activities this year. Ongoing gradual lake lowering has also been occurring since late 2024 ahead of the wet season and upcoming works. It also involves building a temporary upstream cofferdam to facilitate the safe construction of a new spillway, plus reconstruction of the existing earth embankments to ensure the dam meets modern regulatory requirements and continues to operate safely. The upstream cofferdam will keep the lake water level as high as possible throughout construction to ensure that ongoing environment, recreation and community amenity is maintained. Australian bulk water supplier Seqwater owns and


operates 26 dams that provide water security and flood mitigation for the Southeast Queensland region. Seqwater CEO, Emma Thomas, said while dams in the region were built to high safety standards of the time and remain safe, dam design and engineering has evolved significantly since. “Through Seqwater’s Dam Improvement Programme,


we’re investing in the longevity of our region’s dams to ensure they meet updated regulatory requirements and provide water security and flood mitigation benefits for generations to come,” she said. “The Dam Improvement Programme is an enormous undertaking. These projects are extremely complex and require extensive planning and technical expertise to ensure these major investments deliver strategic outcomes vital to the livelihoods of Southeast Queenslanders.”


34 | June 2025 | www.waterpowermagazine.com


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