Duratec’s remediation of Tarraleah Canal No.1 – Tasmania
Renewable energy depends on more than generation assets alone, it relies on the complex infrastructure that transports, stores and manages the resources needed to keep power flowing to homes, businesses and communities.
For almost 90 years, Hydro Tasmania’s Tarraleah No.1 Canal has played a vital role in Tasmania’s hydroelectric network, delivering water to the 90MW Tarraleah Power Station and supporting the generation of renewable energy across the state – powering up to 90,000 Tasmanian homes per year.
As the asset approached a century in-service, targeted remediation was required to address age-related deterioration and ensure the canal remained reliable for decades to come.
Duratec was engaged to deliver a complex remediation program across the canal, forebay and associated infrastructure during a tightly constrained shutdown period between January and March 2026. The project would help protect and renew a key renewable energy asset while minimising disruption to operations.
Delivering renewable energy infrastructure solutions
With only an eight-week outage window available, the team had to complete extensive remediation works across approximately 10 kilometres of remote and access-constrained canal infrastructure.
The challenge became even more complex when additional defects were identified following mobilisation, increasing the overall scope of works. In response, Duratec utilised its Locally Led, Nationally Delivered operating model and combined local specialist expertise with interstate resources, rapidly mobilising a multidisciplinary workforce and establishing multiple work fronts to maximise productivity throughout the shutdown.
Careful staging, innovative access solutions and robust communication systems enabled the team to safely deliver critical repairs while maintaining quality and schedule performance. The works included:
- 211 concrete repairs
- 1,702m of crack repairs
- 235m of CombiFlex joint repairs
- 168m of freeze-thaw remediation
- 50 supplementary wire-rope tie beam installations
- 40 coping block installations
Enabling renewable energy generation for the future
Duratec delivered hundreds of repairs and renewal activities designed to improve the long-term durability and reliability of the canal network.
By addressing structural deterioration and reducing water-loss risks, Duratec helped extend the service life of an asset that remains fundamental to Tasmania’s renewable energy generation capability.
Delivered during a single shutdown period, the works effectively achieved the equivalent of two years’ worth of operational remediation, maximising value for Hydro Tasmania and reducing future maintenance requirements.
Creating long-term value for renewable energy infrastructure
Despite a five per cent increase in project scope, Duratec completed the works approximately two weeks ahead of schedule, enabling Hydro Tasmania to return the canal to operation sooner than expected and maximise energy generation.
The project was delivered with a strong focus on safety, quality and collaboration. Hydro Tasmania described Duratec’s approach as a “benchmark-setting culture and attitude to safety and quality” and awarded the project a perfect 10/10 contractor performance score across all major assessment categories.
Roland Keath, Operations Manager at Duratec, commented: “Infrastructure like the Tarraleah Hydro Power Station is fundamental in delivering reliable renewable energy and supporting the communities and industries that depend on it.
“Our role was not only to repair and renew the asset, but to help Hydro Tasmania maximise the value of existing infrastructure and ensure it continues performing for decades to come.
“Projects like this demonstrate how investing in the protection of renewable infrastructure can deliver lasting environmental, social and economic benefits.”
By combining engineering expertise, specialist remediation capability and disciplined project delivery, Duratec helped safeguard essential renewable energy infrastructure, extend asset life and support the continued delivery of clean energy for Tasmania.
