Ravensthorpe FAQ's
What is the role of Western Power in Ravensthorpe?
Western Power is the transporter of electricity for the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) in WA. The power is transported by a number of infrastructure including substations and power lines.
How many outages have been experienced since the reconnection to the grid in January 2011?
In the area covering the Katanning 509 feeder, there were 55 outages since January 2011, however only 4 of these were unplanned.
Most outages only affect one customer at a time, the largest outage affected 94 customers however was planned by Western Power.
What were the main causes of outages during this time?
Many of the outages were so Western Power could perform maintenance and upgrades throughout the area. In order for work to be carried out safely, the power is required to be disconnected. Other causes are strong winds and lightening.
Western Power is legally required to notify all affected customers of any planned outages therefore minimising the inconvenience this will cause.
How is Western Power addressing reliability and power quality issues in the area?
Power quality is being monitored through power quality meters located at various locations around the township.
There are two new power quality monitors installed which bring the total to 5 transformers installed since March 2011. The new installs allow improved power supply to residents and businesses along the transformer, many of which were overloaded. It also allows Western Power greater ability to monitor the power supply in the township.
Reliability is being addressed through paralleling works. This means that when Ravensthorpe experiences an outage over 30 mins, the diesel generator will provide the town with power. When the network fault has been solved, the town will be reconnected back on to the SWIS.
If Western Power foresees extreme weather conditions in the area, they will also connect Ravensthorpe to the generators to prevent unplanned outages.
Ravensthorpe is currently supplied power from the diesel generators. This is to ensure reliable power is supplied throughout the winter months which are the town’s peak. During this time, Ravensthorpe has been islanded from Western Power’s SWIS yet the network is still being monitored for faults and power issues.
12 September 2011 is the estimated reconnection date of Ravensthorpe to the SWIS. The paralleling solution will then be in effect where any outage over 30 minutes results in the town being connected to the generators.
What is the proposed Stage 2 solution?
The May 2011 Community Forum saw many solutions discussed ranging from wind farms to substation suggestions.
The preferred solution which both the community and Western Power have agreed on is the paralleling works which involves the diesel generators running alongside the SWIS. This option reduces the peak load on the network. If there is an outage, the generators supply the power to the township for the duration.
The paralleling works addresses reliability and capacity issues.
How long will the Stage 2 solution be in effect for?
There is no end date for a Stage 2 solution. Western Power monitors its performance across the SWIS and can respond to less than satisfactory levels of power quality, reliability and capacity through such monitoring. This monitoring and on-going engagement with the community will continue with the town of Ravensthorpe.
How is Western Power involving the Ravensthorpe community in the Stage 2 solution?
In March 2011 the Community were given the opportunity to speak to Western Power technical staff regarding power issues, power behaviour and potential solutions for Ravensthorpe. The information gathered on at this forum was taken back to Western Power and has been used to examine Ravensthorpe’s power issues.
The Community were asked to participate in the Data Collection Survey throughout March-June 2011. This initiative ensured power behaviour experienced by Ravensthorpe customers was also being recorded by Western Power. This information was pivotal in Western Power considering solutions for Ravensthorpe and the results showed that Western Power recordings have been accurately capturing all power behaviours on the feeder.
In May a workshop was held with the community to discuss potential solutions and provide a greater understanding of what the community’s expectations and issues were. During this workshop, both Ravensthorpe community members and Western Power stakeholders came to an agreed solution of the paralleling works. Western Power then provided 14 days for any other Ravensthorpe stakeholders to feed into the solution or challenge the proposal.
The August community forum will provide the opportunity for Ravensthorpe stakeholders to ask questions and clarify issues. It will also enable Western Power to update the community on the project and feedback the technical developments.
The Stage 2 solution addresses the township, what about addressing the wider Ravensthorpe community power issues?
The current Ravensthorpe project focuses on the township and finding a long term sustainable solution for the reliability, capacity and power quality issues they are experiencing.
Western Power acknowledges that surrounding areas also experience power issues, however under the Minister’s direction; the township requires an immediate solution. Surrounding areas are to be investigated as a separate project. Western Power has identified possible network updates that could benefit these areas outside the township.
What has Western Power done in recent times to address the issues?
Western Power has undertaken maintenance in the Ravensthorpe area to an extensive degree. Works include vegetation management and tree cut-back, pole replacement, pole reinforcement and insulator siliconing aiming to improve power behaviour in the area.
In addition to this maintenance, Western Power has installed two new Power Quality Meters in the township and commissioned a new transformer since the March Community forum.
These works will enable Western Power greater visibility in seeing what Power quality issues Ravensthorpe experiences and also allows improved power quality for the township through relieving the overloaded transformer.
First Quantum Minerals and the Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine
First Quantum Minerals approached Western Power to investigate connection of the Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine to the Western Power grid. Given legislative approvals and construction time lines, Western Power surmised that the line would not be complete until around 2015.
First Quantum Minerals have since decided that they can build the line in a shorter time frame than Western Power, and as such, will seek to gain environmental and land access approvals before constructing the line themselves. A power line running from the Western Power grid through to the Ravensthorpe Nickel Mine, once complete, may create new opportunities for future power reinforcement and network security in the region.
Subsequently, given the uncertainty of a completion timeline, the above works do not provide a solution option for addressing power quality, reliability and capacity within the town of Ravensthorpe.
Tectonic and Western Power
Tectonic Mine held a Community Forum in July 2011 to inform the community of their wind/ diesel hybrid power solution along with other information relating to the project. To date, Tectonic have not contacted Western Power in order to become a potential network customer. This is because they will generate their own power from the power station and remain islanded from the SWIS.
Western Power will not be building any infrastructure as a result of the Tectonic mining project. If in the future Tectonic wish to connect to the SWIS, a full approvals process will need to be undertaken which can take up to 2 years to complete.
Tectonic and Western Power are providing updates and openly communicating with each other on the developments in the area.
What works have been done in Ravensthorpe by Western Power?
- 8,964 bays were inspected as part of vegetation management during the 2009/10 financial year and 846 trees were cut-back as a result.
- 5,153 bays were inspected as part of vegetation management during the 2010/11 financial year and 297 trees were cut-back as a result.
- 34 poles have been replaced since the 1st of January, 2010.
- 184 poles have been reinforced since the 1st of January, 2010.
- 127 poles have had other repairs (apart from reinforcement or replacement) undertaken on them since the 1st of January, 2010 – ie cross-arm repairs and/or replacements, insulator repairs and/or replacements, earthing and conductor tie fixes.
- A load break switch near Jerramungup was repaired in April 2010.
- A surge diverter was repaired near Jerramungup in December 2010.
- Line washing and siliconing data is being sought but is not yet available
What works are planned for the future?
- 34 poles are scheduled to be replaced over the winter months.
- 121 poles are scheduled to have other repairs (apart from reinforcement or replacement) undertaken over the witner months.*
- 31 automation devices will have improved communications by the end of this financial year due to a infrastructure upgrade.
- Two new load break switches are scheduled to be installed over this and the next financial year.
- $512k has been allocated for projects to assist "self-healing" of the distribution network. This project is to be completed by the end of 2012.
- Auto-reclose relays at the Katanning substation are set to be replaced to ensure more reliable operation.
- Western Power is pursuing funding for a project to provide solutions for customers who repeatedly experience outages greater than 12 hours in South-West regional areas.
- A maintenance program similar in magnitude to previous years is planned for this financial year. However the specifics of the work are dependant on program funding and the exact assets for replacement or maintenance will be determined closer to the date.
Further information can be obtained by contacting your Community Engagement Consultant, Ella Tribe ella.tribe@westernpower.com.au
