TasNetworks opts for specialist cable solution

TasNetworks has worked with Swedish specialist cable producer Amokabel to install lightweight covered conductor in the Neika area south of Hobart. The aim is to increase network resilience and reliability in an area previously known for vegetation-related outages.

Amokabel said the installation is the first full-scale installation of the new generation of covered conductor in Tasmania.

The technology consists of conductive wire surrounded by an insulating jacket made of advanced lightweight insulation materials that improves reliability and adds minimal weight. This means that it can be restrung on existing poles to save the distributed network service provider (DNSP) — and therefore the consumer — the cost of replacing or adding infrastructure. The solution was approximately one-tenth of the cost of undergrounding in the same area.

In addition to the cost benefit, lightweight covered conductor is much more resilient than bare wire and easier to install than older covered conductor technologies, such as CCT, Amokabel said. It is highly resistant to dropped tree branches — a common cause of outages — and safer for people and wildlife.

It can also help to reduce the risk of bushfire by 98.8% compared with bare wire, the company said. This is because, unlike bare wire, an overhead line using covered conductor doesn’t produce sparks when it contacts dry foliage or other objects.

TasNetworks aims to compare the new technology with its existing methods while immediately improving network resilience in the Neika area.

“The Amokabel covered conductor system allows us to mitigate many of the potential risks that traditional open wire networks pose at a very reasonable cost, making it a viable standard replacement alternative. These include customer outage or firestart due to vegetation or animals contacting the conductors,” said the TasNetworks team who installed the conductor.

Steve Rutland, Managing Director of Amokabel Australia, said it was a pleasure to watch the TasNetworks team carrying out their first installation of the new-generation covered conductor. “Ably assisted by our local partners Groundline Engineering, who provided supervision and training, the installation went very smoothly, a testament to the preparation done by the project team,” Rutland said.

“The area in question is rugged and heavily treed, a perfect location for our products. Our covered conductor offers a range of benefits in terms of resilience, reliability and safety, making it a clear choice for widespread deployment — especially with the effects of climate change creating a challenging environment for our networks.”

Above and top image: Installation of lightweight covered conductor in Neika, near Hobart. Images courtesy of Amokabel.