Mornington BESS: 33kV Switchgear and End-to-End Commissioning
- Client
- ACLE Services Pty Ltd
- Principal Contractor
- ACLE Services Pty Ltd
- Developer
- Maoneng / GMR joint venture with Gaw Capital Partners (original)
- Asset Owner
- Valent Energy
- Location
- Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, VIC
- Grid Connection
- AusNet Tyabb Terminal Station
- Capacity
- 240 MW / 480 MWh
- Voltage
- 33 kV
- Battery OEM
- Genesis TD
- PCS-side Switchgear
- Ormazabal with ABB REJ603 protection relays
- Asset Type
- Utility-scale BESS — 33kV ABB GIS, 2 switchboards
- Project Type
- BESS commissioning — FAT, SAT, protection, SCADA, PCS, battery discharge
- Duration
- Commissioning complete (project codes MVPROJ_12909 and MVPROJ_13448)
- Megavar Scope
- T&C lead for FAT, SAT, protection, SCADA and battery discharge
Overview
The Mornington BESS is a 240MW / 480MWh utility-scale battery energy storage system on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, connected to the national grid at AusNet’s Tyabb Terminal Station. Asset owner Valent Energy (originally a Maoneng / GMR joint venture with Gaw Capital Partners) engaged ACLE Services as EPC, and ACLE contracted Megavar to deliver the testing and commissioning programme across the high-voltage and battery systems.
Megavar’s scope covered factory and site acceptance testing of the 33kV ABB GIS switchgear, protection and SCADA testing, PCS primary and secondary commissioning, field transformer testing, battery discharge testing and end-to-end integration to the AusNet grid. At peak delivery the Megavar team fielded 7 to 8 testers and engineers on site.
A significant portion of the HV testing was witnessed by the Victorian Electrical Safety Inspector to confirm testing was performed safely and to the relevant standards. The project energised successfully and is now in commercial operation.
Scope of Work
Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT)
- 33kV ABB GIS switchgear FAT at SRS Power, including withstand, circuit breaker timing and timing curve verification, CT ratio and polarity, earth switch operation and interlock proving
- Relay FAT testing on the assembled switchboards
Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) and Primary Plant Commissioning
- 33kV ABB GIS switchgear SAT following site installation
- PCS RMU testing: withstand, circuit breaker, CT, earth switch, interlocks and ABB REJ603 relay function checks across each PCS enclosure
- PCS transformer testing using Omicron CPC 100 and Testrano 600
- Field transformer testing across the wider BESS LV distribution
LV distribution and breaker testing
Protection and Secondary Systems
- 33kV switchboard protection setting audit across both switchboards
- PCS secondary protection testing and functional checks
- PQM (power quality metering) device testing
- Relay typicals and logic verification against the issued protection scheme
SCADA and Integration
- DNP3 map verification and rebuild across the 33kV protection relays
- Typicals testing to an external RTU prior to full SCADA testing
- End-to-end SCADA and alarm point testing through to the
- AusNet integration boundary
Battery System
Battery discharge testing through multiple phases, supporting commissioning and grid compliance
Test Equipment
Deployed on Site
- Omicron CMC 356: Protection relay testing and secondary injection
- Omicron CMC 500: Protection and system-level testing
- Omicron CPC 100: Primary injection, transformer testing, earth testing
- Omicron Testrano 600: Three-phase transformer testing
- Omicron Cibano: Circuit breaker timing and dynamic analysis
- Omicron CMLIB REF: Reference for GPS-synchronised CMC testing
- Omicron CT Analyzer: CT ratio, polarity and saturation testing
- Megger Torkel 930: Battery bank discharge testing
- Megger MIT 515 (5kV): Insulation resistance testing
- Megger MOM2: Circuit breaker contact resistance
- Megger DLRO 100: Low resistance ohmmeter testing
- BK130: High-current AC injection
- Fluke 189: General multimeter and verification
Megavar deployed a full Omicron test suite supported by Megger and Fluke instrumentation. Each instrument listed here is available for hire separately.
Challenges and Approach
No DC supply on site for 33kV switchgear testing
When Megavar mobilised to the manufacturing site and then to the SAT site, no DC supply was available to power the two 33kV ABB GIS switchboards for testing. Under the Principal Tester’s direction, Megavar’s project manager sourced and purchased a DC power supply rated to power both switchboards, together with additional HV cable termination caps to prevent flashover and equipment damage during withstand testing. Testing resumed the same day, with no impact on the commissioning programme.
Incomplete ABB relay configuration and DNP3 mapping
The 33kV protection relays were delivered with typical configurations only. DNP3 point mapping was not complete from the OEM. During FAT, the incomplete relay settings were sent back to ABB to configure the DNP maps, which the end user then uploaded post-FAT. On upload, all relays went into alarm, creating an immediate integration issue with AusNet and the project SCADA.
Megavar mobilised back to site after hours, rebuilt the DNP mapping into the correct relay configuration files, and assisted ACLE to test the typicals into an external RTU before proceeding with full SCADA testing. This recovered the schedule and avoided a re-FAT of the relay panels.
PCS commissioning efficiency across a large site
The BESS layout required the test team to move between many PCS units across a large footprint. Rather than run extension leads and relocate test gear at every PCS, Megavar set up a mobile testing rig on the back of a UTE, powered by alternative power supplies (inverters). The UTE acted as an additional barricade alongside the standard delineation and reduced manual handling, trip hazards, noise exposure and mobilisation time between PCS units.
During PCS testing the team identified and flagged several faulty live line indicators, and one RMU with a circuit breaker that failed to open. These defects were raised with ACLE and rectified before the RMUs were placed into service.
Outcomes
Mornington BESS energised and entered commercial operation on programme despite the mid-project relay configuration and DC supply issues.
Every phase of HV testing that required inspector oversight was witnessed by the Victorian Electrical Safety Inspector.
Defects identified by Megavar during PCS testing (faulty live line indicators, failed RMU breaker) were corrected prior to energisation, avoiding post-energisation rework.
DNP3 mapping across both 33kV switchboards was rebuilt and verified against the external RTU, allowing clean handover to the AusNet interface.
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