- Comprehensive work undertaken to improve power reliability in the Peel region
- Upgrade to Mandurah substation complete
Energy Minister Bill Johnston today announced Western Power had fast-tracked significant maintenance and enhancements on the network in the Peel region ahead of summer to improve reliability.
Twelve programs of work including a fast tracked upgrade to the Mandurah substation, had been expedited with the aim of improving reliability for homes and businesses in the region.
The work includes a new high voltage circuit (feeder), additional interconnections, six new automated switchgears which assist with reconfiguring the network as required to expedite power restoration. This will significantly improve network reliability by mitigating feeder issues, due to overuse, and create greater capacity for forecasted future customer demand on the network.
The new high voltage circuit, interconnections and automated switchgear will also ensure there is more flexibility between circuits and improved switching capabilities allowing Western Power’s network control team to isolate faults and re-route electricity when it is safe to do so.
Network switching is the process of moving electricity from one circuit to another – essentially re-routing the flow of energy, similar to traffic management re-directing vehicles on an alternate route if a road is congested.
If faults occur, these works will help reduce response times and assist in getting homes and businesses re-connected more quickly.
Comments attributed to Energy Minister Bill Johnston:
“No electricity network in the world can guarantee 100 per cent reliability as faults occur as part of normal operations.
"Following the heatwave and in line with recommendations from the independent review into the Christmas power outages, Western Power has worked hard to mitigate risks and accelerated works prior to the coming summer season.
"With ongoing climate change, it's imperative our essential infrastructure can withstand extreme weather events, and Western Power is working to ensure Western Australians continue to have safe, affordable and reliable power now and in the future."