HPEE 2025 PROGRAM 

The full conference program is now available. Please note that the program is subject to change without notice

All conference sessions will be held at QT Canberra

SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER

From 4pm: Arrival and Registration

5.30pm - 7.30pm: Welcome Cocktail Function, QT Lounge Bar

MONDAY 20 OCTOBER 

0730-1700         Registration and Speaker Information Desk open
Arrival tea and coffee
0800-0900OPENING SESSION

Exchange opening and Exchange information, Jan de Groote, HPEE Convenor, Snowy Hydro

OPENING ADDRESS - Maia Schweizer, COO, Snowy Hydro
0900-0930
Calibrating future life predictions of old assets with learnings from recent major refurbishments and replacements
Robert Dillon,  Hydro Tasmania
0930-1000
Asset Integrity Program Pilot
Daniel McGuire, Snowy Hydro Limited
1000-1030Morning tea
1030-1100
Using Artificial Intelligence to Detect Machine Anomalies
Jeremy Amadio,  Manawa Energy
1100-1130
Clover Power Station – The Ageing Bottleneck – Part 2
Nigel Smith, Project Manager Clover Upgrade Project AGL Energy
1130-1200
Eildon Unit 1 Stator Failure
Darren Fuaux, AGL
1200-1300Lunch
1300-1330
Roxburgh Turbine Upgrade - “Trust the Process”
David Cleary, Contact Energy Limited
1330-1400   
Runner Fatigue Analysis
Lyn Evans, Genesis Energy
1400-1430
Challenges of the Gordon No.2 Upgrade and Refurbishment
Harriet Miller-Brown, Hydro Tasmania
1430-1500
Maintenance Innovation as a Strategic Lever in New Zealand's Energy Transition
Emily Adams, Meridian Energy
1500-1530Afternoon tea
1530-1600
Continuous monitoring for rockfalls in hydro tunnels  
Andrew Wood, AGL
1600-1630     
How to be ready for the future without replacing old, embedded components
Paul Betschart, Mercury NZ
1630-1700
Powering the Future: Managing Quality in International Manufacturing
Stuart Bonnington, Snowy Hydro Limited
1700-1730
Hawea Dam Gates – We were not ready, 70-year-old design under the modern microscope
Ella Fisher, Contact Energy
1730END OF CONFERENCE DAY ONE
Dinner: own arrangements
1930-2200HPEE Committee Meeting (committee members only)

TUESDAY 21 OCTOBER

SITE VISIT TO SNOWY 2.0, Snowy Mountains, NSW

Coaches depart QT Canberra at 6:30am 

From 6:30pm: Casual networking dinner at Lucky's,  QT Canberra


WEDNESDAY 22 OCTOBER

0800-0830
Arrival tea and coffee - Level 1 Foyer
0830-0900
Waitaki Upgrade Project – Modernising one of New Zealand’s oldest hydro stations
Scott Jesen, Meridian Energy
0900-0930
Hold Your Breath – Rethinking Underwater Repairs
Natasha Middleton, Genesis Energy
0930-1000
Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) availability and support
Rudra Nath Baral, Origin Energy
1000-1030Morning tea
1030-1100     
Matahina Spillway Gate Testing Challenges
Dave Dunford, Manawa Energy
1100-1130
Future-Proofing Hydro Generation with Distributed SCADA: AGL's GARAS SCADA Replacement Project
Dylan Reynolds, AGL
1130-1200

Powering Up: Uprating Ohau B & C for Peak Demand and Flexibility
Ella Gilroy, Meridian Energy
1200-1300Lunch
1300-1530OPEN FORUM SESSIONS
1300-1410           
Are we ready for Industry 4.0 – the Fourth industrial Revolution?
Meridian Energy 

End of generator life planning
Darren Fuaux, AGL          
Knowledge transfer to the next generation of operator maintainers for older assets
CLEANCO 
Challenges and Opportunities of BESS Integration with Hydropower
David Wilson, Foresight Group
1420-1530
How do you utilise data for real-time condition monitoring of hydro tunnels?
Andrew Wood, AGL
Electrical PD Testing
Darren Fuaux, AGL

How to approach the scoping and business justification of significant works for generator mid life refurbishments CLEANCO
Navigating Process Safety in Hydro Power Engineering
Meridian Energy 
1530-1600Afternoon tea
1600-1700REPORT BACK ON OPEN FORUM SESSIONS
1700
END OF CONFERENCE DAY THREE
1830-2200HPEE CONFERENCE DINNER, National Gallery of Australia

THURSDAY 23 OCTOBER

0800-0830   
Tarraleah Power Station: Sustaining machines past end of life
Alex Nichols, Hydro Tasmania
0830-0900
Learning from IoT Wireless Sensor Journey
Andreea Chiriac, Genesis Energy
0900-0930
Enhancing Hydropower Efficiency: A Re-Rating Exercise of Bakun IMPSA Units from 300MW to 330MW
Mohd Hafizul Bin Masdar, Sarawak Energy Berhad
0930-1000
Rotor Rim End-of-Fatigue Life and Refurbishment - 2025 Update
Aaron Vogel & Travis Hennessy, Snowy Hydro LImited
1000-1030Morning tea
1030-1100    
A Stitch in Time - Balancing risk, availability and investigation when addressing GSU transformer defects
Olivia Panjkov, Snowy Hydro Limited
1100-1130
Barron Gorge Butterfly Valve – Out with the old and in with the new – If only it was that easy
Ian Foy, CLEAN CO (Queensland)
1130-1200
Modernization of Murum Hydroelectric Plant, gearing towards High Performance after 10 Years of Operation
Marc Anthony Liew, Sarawak Energy Berhad
1200-1300Lunch
1300-1330
Spinning the Future with additional Synchronous Condenser capability
Andrew Koolhof, Hydro Tasmania
1330-1400
Burrinjuck Emergency Closure Gates
Michael Turney, Foresight Group
1400-1430
Preparing for the Future: Hydro Tasmania’s Mark 4 Control System
Darcy Paynter, Hydro Tasmania
1430-1500
Stator Earth Fault Protection for Hydro Generators in Modern Power Systems
Damien Hensen, CLEAN CO (Queensland)
1500-1545Afternoon tea. plus voting on presentations
1545-1630HPEE 2025 CLOSING SESSION
Award Presentations
Handover to next Host