Can switchgear increase safety and sustainability in mining?

Switching operations are essential for the reliability and functioning of electrical distribution grids. However, networks that serve the resources industry, such as mining or oil and gas networks, come with several added risks.

These industrial environments provide challenging operating conditions for electrical switchgear, with pollution build-up and a high-risk work environment increasing the safety risks for operators.

Thankfully, recent developments in electrical switchgear technology are addressing these environmental risks, allowing resources operations to reduce downtime and the frequency of workplace incidents.

The operating environment

Supplying power to assets on a resource site is a necessary part of resource extraction. After all, processing plant or electrical excavation machinery can’t generate revenue when it isn’t powered up.

These applications require reliable power, but the high-pollution environment on a mining site increases the need for frequent maintenance. For this reason, assets must be routinely de-energised for maintenance access.

The added pollution in these environments presents risks to traditional electrical switching equipment, known as switchgear. For example, build-up of materials such as iron ore dust on legacy exposed air-break switches can cause a degradation in performance or reliability.

While older designs of enclosed sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆)-based load break switches mitigate the impact to isolation points, the industry’s goal of carbon reduction is not compatible with using SF₆ switchgear at the medium-voltage distribution level.

Fortunately, advances in solid dielectric insulation technology can offer a load break switch system that has zero SF₆ but encloses the isolator for improved reliability in polluted environments.

Improving electrical switching safety in resource extraction sites

One technique is to employ solid dielectric switchgear, rather than legacy air-break or SF₆-insulated devices.

Medium-voltage distribution switchgear such as the NOJA Power VISI-SWITCH uses a solid dielectric insulation scheme and encloses the isolation gap.

NOJA Power’s device also includes a viewing window for the isolation gap, enabling operators to confirm isolator position onsite, while reducing the risk of pollution interfering with electrical performance. There is also provision for padlock-style interlocking, making the equipment compatible with existing resources energy distribution work practices.

“The NOJA Power VISI-SWITCH allows our customers to buy a reliable enclosed load break switch that completely eliminates the use of SF₆ gas and gives back operators the visible break they lost when open air-break switches stopped being used on distribution networks,” said NOJA Power Group Managing Director Neil O’Sullivan.

According to NOJA Power, deploying solid dielectric load break switches with an enclosed visible break offers a significant improvement to electrical switchgear safety, while also addressing the industry’s decarbonisation objectives. Given their safety and sustainability benefits, these technological advancements enhance social licence to operate.

For more information, visit www.nojapower.com.au.

Image credit: iStock.com/Opla