Unified Operator Interface Solution Enables Remote Operation / AGL Somerton Power Station, Australia

• Location: Somerton, Victoria, Australia
• Output/fuel: 150MW (4×37MW), gas fired
• Owners: AGL Power Generation, Australia
• Overview: AGL Somerton Power Station is a peaking power station which provides Victoria with electricity in times of high electricity demand. The plant plays a significant role in ensuring the state's stable supply of electricity.

Project

Unified Operator Interface Solution
Enables Remote Operation /
AGL Somerton Power Station, Australia

• Operation date: 2002
• Project type: Greenfield site
• Plant configuration:
  Gas turbines: 4 second hand Frame 6 gas turbines, manufactured under license to GE by Alstom and Thomassen International.
• Overview: Electricity demand is growing rapidly in southern Australia and networks are reaching full capacity during peak demand periods.

Following a requirement for a new substation in its distribution network, AGL decided to build a peak power station in Somerton, Victoria. Yokogawa Australia provided system engineering, installation support, and commissioning services for the project.

(Customer requirements)

• Remote control and operation:
  The plant owner needed to operate 4 gas turbines from an existing control center in Melbourne.
• Fast track project:
  The project schedule was very tight, with the plant needing to be in operation by the following summer (2002). This left just three months for the delivery of system equipment.

(Yokogawa's solution)

• Unified Operator Interface (UOI):
  The CENTUM CS 3000 / UOI was selected for this project. The control platform in the UOI is the GE Fanuc CIMPLICITY Human Machine Interface (HMI) system, which fully integrates the controls for the turbine and BOP auxiliaries and uses the same screens/formats at both the turbine and BOP HMI displays. The CIMPLICITY HMI used in the UOI is a SCADA based design that fully supports the customer's requirement for remote operation capability.
• On-time delivery:
  IIn close cooperation with Yokogawa's factory in Singapore, Yokogawa Australia supplied fully engineered control systems on schedule.

System

- Control scope:
Interface to Triconex Turbine Controllers
Balance of Plant (BOP) Control
Interface to electricity market network (NEMMCO)for load dispatch

- System equipment:
CENTUM CS 3000 / UOI