2018 34 Paper: Leveraging Off Modern Technology to Enhance the Asset Management

Hydro Tasmania owns and is responsible for a diverse and complex hydropower system, comprising of Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and other non-generational assets. Often the ability to thoroughly inspect its civil assets and operational facilities is limited by the geography, environmental consideration, land ownership and real time operation of plants and equipment. There would be no surprise that asset owners are continually searching for new ways to improve the effectiveness of inspections with new technologies to capture valuable and accurate data from new vantage points, and importantly in a safer and more cost effective manner.
This paper focus on Hydro Tasmania’s journey to embrace modern technologies in response to the strategic digital transformation roadmap development initiative. In particular, HT’s concerted efforts to mature its asset surveillance approach, invest in new technologies and skills training, with a view to realise opportunities for reducing costs, increasing safety, developing in-house capabilities and continuous improvements of the whole-of-life Asset Management. With the rapid advancement in high precision spatial technologies, especially Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROVs) and both aerial and terrestrial LiDAR. Hydro Tasmania is utilising available techniques for data collection, observation and processing to assist with the decision makings of the integral asset management.
There are many opportunities to apply these new technologies for ongoing asset inspection, surveillance, operation and other asset related applications. While these technologies are operational and standard uses are relatively mature, Hydro Tasmania has to overcome challenges and limitations along the way. Some of the obstacles have included licensing of operators and the business for unmanned aerial vehicles, ongoing training, maintaining competency, a capital investment strategy and support for continuous improvements.
As the technology continues to make headway, practical application can go beyond the traditional practice, unshackle known limits and increase the commercial efficacy. Hydro Tasmania is continuing to mature its established program and uncover areas that are as yet explored, in a sustainable, cooperate and progressive way.

• Author: Marcus Liang
• Exchange: 2018 - Albury AGL
• Company: Hydro Tasmania
• Topic: Asset Condition, Asset Management, Civil, Condition Monitoring, Data Analytics, Tunnels
• Key Words: Aqueduct, Asset, Dam, Drone, Modeling, computerised