Power reliability in the Mid West and Wheatbelt has received a boost with work completed to improve performance on a significant feeder line in the Shire of Irwin.
Acting Executive Manager of Asset Management Ben Bristow said the work meant the length of unplanned power outages would be reduced over time. The work was part of Western Power’s Regional Connect Program, developed to implement improvement initiatives for targeted regional communities whose power is supplied via long feeder lines.
“We’ve undertaken enhancements including network automation and upgrades to protection devices to improve fault-finding capability and network flexibility,” he said.
Mr Bristow said Dalwallinu and Mullewa were the next target areas under the Regional Connect Program with planning and design work already underway.
“In Dalwallinu and Mullewa we’re installing protection devices and switches and improving our remote automation capability,” Mr Bristow said.
“In Mullewa we’re also increasing capacity to support the connection of back-up generators during emergency outages.
“The improvements will increase network flexibility so we can better isolate faults and reduce the size of the area impacted by an outage and fault-finding times reducing length of unplanned outages.”
The work in Dalwallinu and Mullewa will be completed by mid-2026.
Reliability improvement works are also continuing in Northampton, Gnowangerup and Lake Grace under the Regional Connect Program.
This follows the completion of work in Lancelin in late-2024 which included the installation of a high voltage injection unit (HVIU) providing back-up power supply to the Lancelin community.
Target areas and feeder lines being upgraded as part of the Regional Connect Program are chosen based on a number of factors including:
- a high number of unplanned outages
- challenging environmental conditions
- diverse community needs
- opportunities to improve the feeder.
The Program is funded through an $88 million allocation by the Economic Regulation Authority to address regional reliability under Western Power’s Access Arrangement 5 (AA5).
For more information, visit letstalkpower.westernpower.com.au/regional-connect