Case Study: EastLink achieves 70% energy savings and significant noise reduction with Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure solution

Seventy per-cent energy savings, and noise reduction with Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ solution

EastLink, the operator of Melbourne’s 40km private freeway and twin 1.6km tunnels, needed to cut the high energy use, audible noise and equipment wear caused by its original fixed‑speed tunnel ventilation system. Schneider Electric proposed an on‑demand upgrade using its EcoStruxure architecture—including M580 ePAC controllers, Altivar variable speed drives (VSDs) and Citect SCADA—to deliver real‑time, closed‑loop control of tunnel and stack fans.

Schneider Electric implemented EcoStruxure with redundant M580 ePACs, ATV61 VSDs with Active Front End and Citect SCADA, converting ten axial fans to dynamic, sensor‑driven control, adding quieter impellers and portal emission algorithms. The result was ~70% energy savings (more than $400,000/year), roughly 9,000 tonnes CO2 avoided annually, a halving of ventilation‑stack noise, minimal traffic disruption during installation, and Australia’s first on‑demand tunnel ventilation system—helping EastLink achieve a top GRESB sustainability ranking.

EastLink

Ian Oxworth

Project Director