Murray Goulburn Plant

Description

Murray Goulburn (MGC) is one of Australia’s largest dairy food companies. We worked with MGC on a project to power one of their Northern Victorian milk processing plants. The processing plant was in the midst of being expanded and, after some very late notice from the network, it was clear that their electrical requirements would exceed the capacity of the local grid supply. It meant that MGC had to provide their own stand-alone 4MW power station in a very challenging timeframe.

MGC had explored a variety of technologies and fuels but made the decision to use natural gas fuelled microturbines because the technology, and Optimal’s delivery, met important requirements.

Firstly, Optimal was able to work with MGC’s incredibly tight deadline. We designed, delivered, installed, and commissioned the 4MW power station in 19 weeks. This included installing high voltage works switchboards, transformers and 500 metres of underground cable.

Another important factor for MGC was Optimal’s responsiveness. MGC required a one-hour response time for any technical issues, which we were able to deliver.

Finally, as the processing plant is located in a township, it was essential that the onsite power solution was low impact. The Capstone Microturbines we installed have a sound pressure level of 70dBA, which is much lower than competing technologies. The microturbines also have low emissions for minimal impact on the local community and environment.