Reliability a key focus for Western Power
Release Date: 07 April 2009
- Response to ERA report -
The electricity distributors’ performance report released today by the Economic Regulation Authority (ERA) highlights the extent of the challenges involved in managing one of the world’s largest isolated networks.
Western Power’s network covers about 322,000 square kilometers, comprising over 700,000 poles and millions of components.
General Manager Customer Services, Mark de Laeter, said while Western Power recognised power reliability wasn’t yet where customers wanted it to be, the overall reliability for the network of 99.9% was a solid base.
Last year an unusually high level of outages that related to storm activity contributed to lower reliability performance.
Despite this, the average frequency of power outages was similar to previous reporting periods.
Reliability figures for the 07/08 period showed that;
- On average power was available across the network for 99.94% of time
- 25% of power interruptions related to planned outages which are necessary for improving the network
- 24% of power interruptions related to factors beyond Western Power’s control, such as car crashes, vandalism, storms, bushfires, and lightning
- 34% of power interruptions related to equipment failure
- Most of the remaining 17% of outages related to faults of unknown cause, such as wind borne debris that leave no evidence of the cause of the impact and are therefore termed an ‘unknown cause’.
Mr de Laeter, said Western Power’s plan for improving reliability is to continue to invest in ongoing maintenance as well as installing multiple ‘intelligent devices’ in the network.
“The number of faults can be reduced by spending more on maintaining what is now a relatively old network. We need to make up for a decade of under-investment across a very big area.
We are reducing the time customers are without power by putting in smart devices that allow remote monitoring and control of the network. This helps us restore power much faster”, he said.
“Western Power has earmarked to increase expenditure by 120% over the next three years to improve reliability, subject to funding”, Mr de Laeter said.
Western Power focuses on three key programs to improve reliability:
- The automation project: This involves installing hundreds of intelligent devices in targeted areas to reduce the impact on the network of unplanned interruptions and to reduce the time taken to locate faults ($22 million over 3 years)
- Targeted upgrading of poor performing feeders: This involves refurbishing power line sections close to substations because a fault near a substation affects most of the customers on a line ($28 million over three years)
- 40 Worst Feeder Program: This directs improvement work to the 40 poorest performing powerlines in the network, 20 in metropolitan and 20 in regional areas. ($3 million over three years).
Reliability levels fluctuate substantially from year to year due to the occurrence of storms, lightning, bush fires, car crashes and vandalism.
Contact us
If you have any questions regarding this media release please email us: media@westernpower.com.au
