General News
18 May, 2023
New tech reduces bushfire risk
More than a third of Powercor customers across western Victoria are now protected by state-of-the-art technology aimed at reducing the risk of powerline-related bushfires. Powercor has completed the six-year roll out of Rapid Earth Fault Current...
More than a third of Powercor customers across western Victoria are now protected by state-of-the-art technology aimed at reducing the risk of powerline-related bushfires.
Powercor has completed the six-year roll out of Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiter (REFCL) technology across more than 17,000 kilometres of powerlines in central, northern and western Victoria, ahead of its May 1 deadline.
The technology works like a large safety switch on the network, instantly cutting the power if a tree or other object strikes powerlines or a line hits the ground.
Powercor head of major projects Marcus Olive said the world-first bushfire mitigation device was introduced in response to a recommendation from the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission.
“We’ve completed one of the biggest projects ever in Powercor’s network and our communities are safer for it,” he said.
The devices are installed in 22 zone substations in some of our networks’ most high-risk bushfire areas and they have activated more than 6000 times since they were switched on.
“During this past fire season, we saw 1172 momentary activations and 139 permanent activations, which shows the devices are working and reducing the risk of fires starting,” Mr Olive said.
These devices can activate for a range of reasons including lightning, strong winds, tree branches coming into contact with powerlines and wildlife.
The devices can also activate when machinery comes into contact with them, as highlighted in Maryborough in early 2020, when an excavator came into contact with lines.
The REFCL device in Maryborough, which was one of the first to be rolled out, reduced voltage to the line within milliseconds and potentially saved the life of the excavator driver and two other nearby workers.
With the REFCL project now complete, Powercor has delivered on all the Royal Commission recommendations concerning electricity distribution networks.
The project included hundreds of employees across many Powercor teams and 3.3 million hours of work.
The safety devices operate all year round enhancing the safety of our network, but on days of Total Fire Ban they will operate at heightened sensitivity, in line with regulatory requirements.