The resilience and difficulties of the local energy grid were underscored by a series of events that affected the electricity infrastructure in New South Wales’s Broken Hill region in October 2024. Let’s take a more in-depth look into the events that led to the city’s power outages.
17th October 2024 – Seven transmission towers collapse near Broken Hill
On the evening of 17th October, seven transmission towers located approximately 56km south of Broken Hill fell due to strong winds and hail. This led to power outages in the town and nearby areas, with the town relying on backup generators temporarily. The Broken Hill Gas Turbine, which predominantly runs on diesel, was put to work from the 01:55 dispatch interval (2:25 AM local time) to help stabilise the local power supply.
27th October 2024 – Broken Hill BESS Discharges Power into the Grid
The Broken Hill BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) discharged power into the grid during the Sunday evening peak on October 27th. This helped bridge the gap in regional demand.
31st October 2024 – Temporary Power Restoration
Broken Hill was successfully reconnected to the high-voltage transmission network on the evening of October 31, 2024, at 8:41 PM (ACDT) with the help of temporary towers. After significant power disruptions, the reconnection marked an important milestone in restoring grid stability.
21st–25th October 2024 – Backup Generator Issues
Despite initial efforts to maintain power using the backup generator, Broken Hill’s backup generator (GB01) experienced intermittent outages between the 21st and 25th of October. The generator tripped offline on 21st October and was restored by 22nd October, but encountered issues again on 25th October, adding to the strain on the region’s power supply.
26th October 2024 – Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Restarts Operations
On 26th October, the Broken Hill BESS cautiously restarted charging, marking a key step in stabilising the region’s energy supply as the grid began recovering from the previous disruptions.
1st November 2024 – Silverton Wind Farm Reconnects
The Silverton Wind Farm, located near Broken Hill, resumed operations on 1st November, contributing to grid stability and supporting the region’s power needs following the supply interruptions.
2nd November 2024 – Full Reconnection Expected
According to Penny Sharpe, the Energy Minister, Broken Hill’s power supply is expected to fully reconnect to the wider grid by Saturday, 2nd November, with the temporary infrastructure already in place.
Stay Ahead of the Curve: Navigating Energy Volatility
As demonstrated by the disruptions in Broken Hill, energy systems can be unpredictable, especially in a volatile market. For businesses and organisations relying on stable energy supplies, it is crucial to stay ahead of the curve.
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