VEEM have recently commenced a project to supply specialist cast relief valves for Hydro Tasmania. Originally manufactured as early as the 1950’s and sourced from the UK, there were limited options of suppliers globally and no one in Australia that could re-manufacture the complicated geometry, high integrity and high strength steel valves.
With the vast experience of casting high integrity valves for submarines and other critical applications, VEEM was the perfect partner to offer a locally available and high-quality solution.
The valves are primarily used to avert the dangers of sudden load rejections. The original designers installed relief valves that could quickly reroute incoming water to bypass the turbines, thereby taking the generators offline.
Previously, the dams at Lake Echo and Trevallyn have undergone multiple repairs to extend the life of the units, however new replacement items are required. Hydro Tasmania have some 30 hydropower stations operating in Tasmania.