Powerful Medicine

At more than $1.5 billion, the new Footscray hospital is one of Australia's largest ever health infrastructure projects.

Cummins' proven expertise in critical power installations at major hospital projects around the country is a key reason for its involvement in the new Footscray hospital. 

In fact, the Footscray project is one of five hospital developments and several medical-related facilities that the Cummins Power Generation team in Melbourne, Australia is currently involved in. 

Due for completion at the end of 2025, the new Footscray hospital spans five buildings and will employ around 5,000 people.

With more than 500 beds - an increase of 200 beds over the old hospital - the new hospital will treat around 15,000 additional patients each year and enable around 20,000 additional people to be seen by the emergency department. 

The hospital is being delivered as a Public Private Partnership with Cummins having proven experience in hospital-related PPP projects.

Complexity

Four 2500 kVA Cummins Power Generation generator sets and six Cummins DMC8000 digital master control systems are at the heart of the emergency power system. 

"The new Footscray hospital is one of the most complex emergency power system projects Cummins has been involved in," says Cummins project manager Nikhil Kathe. 

"I want to give a hug shoutout to the Cummins team involved in the project. They are the heroes who have kept it on track.

"The project has been going for five years and has been through several design changes in the last few years. Commissioning of the emergency power system began in mid-November 2024 and is expected to be completed by the start of April 2025."

Team Effort

Cummins has had a large on-site team at one stage or another, with up to eight engineers and technicians from Cummins Laverton involved during the construction and commissioning phases.

The team has included project manager Nikhil Kathe, previous project manager Adam Ferrara (2020-2024), sales executive Russell Slocomb, application engineers Kevin Baxter, Nick Rousch and Madonna Tawfik, and technicians Jason Griffin, Prashant Patel, Matt Brown and Sarah Bold. 

Long-serving Cummins regional application engineer Kevin Baxter confirms the complexity of the project which involves the six Cummins DMC8000 units networking the third part controls.

These include nine transformers, six HV ring main units, 19 closed transition ATS (automatic transfer switches), 10 load feeder circuit breakers, and two HV incomers from the national grid. 

The first of the four Cummins Power Generation generators will be on line within 15 seconds in the event of an outage.

The four 2250 kVA generator sets are designed around Cummins' 60-litre QSK60 diesel engine which are fed with fuel from three 1000 litre tanks in the plant room. Additional bulk fuel supply includes one 50,000-litre tank and three 35,000-litre tanks. 

This capacity provides enough fuel for the four generators to run at full load for 2.5 days.

Located on the corner of Geelong and Ballarat Roads in Melbourne, Australia, the new hospital will support the increasing demand from Melbourne's booking western suburbs, ensuring families get the care they need close to home.

It replaces the ageing Footscray Hospital on nearby Gordon Street, which was built in the 1950s through community fundraising.