Siemens expands Qld circuit-breaker facility

Siemens will be significantly expanding its Fusesaver manufacturing facility in Queensland via a move to new premises in Yatala.

Following the move, operations will grow from 1400 to 5500 m², nearly quadrupling the manufacturing footprint — something that is expected to double the workforce and increase exports by more than $300 million over the next 10 years.

Fusesaver is an MV vacuum circuit-breaker that clears faults in 10 milliseconds, improving network reliability and reducing the risk of bushfires caused by fallen powerlines. The innovative product was developed in Queensland nearly 20 years ago and subsequently acquired by Siemens. It now helps eliminate up to 80% (around 760,000 hours) of sustained electricity outages on rural networks in over 35 countries, Siemens said.

In addition to the growth of Fusesaver, the expansion will also support continued manufacturing of the Compact Modular Recloser, another local product designed and developed at the current facility and exported worldwide.

Dr Brett Watson, one of the co-founders of Fusesaver and the head of Siemens’ Electrification and Automation business in the region, said that the expansion is testament to what is possible when bold ideas have support.

“Fusesaver started with a simple but ambitious question: could we build a device that would make rural power networks more reliable, safer, more intelligent and have a lower cost to maintain and operate at a fraction of the size and cost of traditional methods? The answer required bringing together Australian ingenuity with world-leading Siemens technology from Berlin to create a product that simply didn’t exist before.

“The demand through the years has accelerated as utilities worldwide prioritise network resilience, bushfire risk mitigation and the integration of renewable energy sources,” Watson added.

“To see this technology now being manufactured at scale in Queensland and exported to 35 countries is extraordinary. It’s proof that the right technology can scale globally from a kitchen table to a work shed to the world.”

Image caption: (L–R) Peter Halliday, CEO of Siemens Australia and New Zealand; Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bates, holding a Fusesaver device; and Dr Brett Watson, Head of Electrification & Automation at Siemens Australia and New Zealand. Image: Supplied