Shoalhaven Water, a SafeREnergy partner, extends investment to enhance the resilience of Sewage Pumping Station Energy

After a successful two-year research project, SafeREnergy partner Shoalhaven Water has extended their collaborative research agreement for a third year.

Historically, power outages at sewer pump station (SPS) locations have led to the unintended discharge of raw sewage into the environment, adversely impacting the surrounding ecosystems. This initiative, partly funded by the Australian Research Council through the SafeREnergy Hub, provides a stable and safe power supply to SPS assets to ensure seamless operation.

With the support provided by the ARC Research Hub for Safe and Reliable Energy (SafeREnergy) and the Australian Power Quality Research Centre at the University of Wollongong, Shoalhaven Water has designed and integrated Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) into Shoalhaven Water SPS locations. So far, two sites have been commissioned for this project, and an additional two are currently under construction.

The continuation of this project allows integration of BESS into further sewer pump station locations. In addition, further research into system optimisation and battery efficiency will be studied. These developments will, in turn, ensure that the environment surrounding these pump station locations is protected from future power infrastructure faults and outages.

The Hub Director, Professor Ying (Ian) Chen noted that the research being undertaken leverages SafeREnergy Hub outcomes related to safe and reliable energy storage, as well as the development of novel devices and solutions for new and improved storage and conversion technologies.

“The benefit of Hub projects for industry partners, such as Shoalhaven Water, is the opportunity to utilise highly skilled and world-leading researchers in energy storage for solving real-world practical challenges,” Prof. Chen said.

Shoalhaven Water is a leader in the water industry that aims to provide efficient, effective water and wastewater services to the expansive Shoalhaven region in NSW. This vital development will ensure the ongoing safety and resilience of water pump system infrastructure.

“Working alongside Shoalhaven Water, we’ve seen firsthand how the ARC Hub’s research can directly enhance community infrastructure and essential services,” Prof. Chen said.

This project is led by a team of highly skilled researchers from the University of Wollongong – Mr Sean Elphick, Dr Edward Smith and Assoc. Prof Duane Robinson.

About SafeREnergy

ARC Research Hub for Safe and Reliable Energy (SafeREnergy) was established with $5 million funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and contributions from six Australian universities. Led by Distinguished Professor Ian Chen, SafeREnergy aims to address battery safety and reliability issues and the environmental impact of current energy storage and conversion technologies.

SafeREnergy brings together Australian universities and industry to deliver a new generation of technologies for storage, from small-scale portable devices to large-scale industrial applications, using recycled and natural materials and eliminating the serious fire risk in current technologies. Outcomes include innovative integrated energy conversion and storage technologies and new energy materials and devices designed for different scale applications, benefiting the Australian economy, and potentially transforming the energy industry landscape.

For media enquiries please contact Matthew Nye via m.nye@deakin.edu.au