Powerlink Queensland has signed a collaboration agreement with French company RTE international (RTEi) to provide consultancy services for live substation works across the Asia Pacific region.
Powerlink was the first Australian transmission utility to adopt live substation works in 2001 and RTEi are long-standing world leaders who continue to provide methodology and licensing to Powerlink for this innovative practice.
Under this new agreement, Powerlink and RTE international can now collaborate to provide engineering consultancy services to work on live substations on transmission networks to more than 20 countries across the Asia Pacific region.
Powerlink’s Chief Operating Officer Gary Edwards said there were significant advantages to this highly specialised work practice.
“The innovation of live substation work methodologies allows us to ensure the safe, cost-effective, and reliable performance of the transmission network. It also delivers efficiencies by removing the need for planned outages,” he said.
“Our team of highly skilled experts have been conducting this work since 2001, which allows the transmission network to remain ‘live’ while critical works are being completed and reducing potential impacts on customers.
“We pride ourselves on being the only Australian transmission company able to do this type of highly specialised work, with strict assessments, equipment and protections in place to safely complete the most complex of jobs.
“I am proud RTEi have put their ongoing trust in our expertise toward sharing our combined knowledge with other utilities across the Asia Pacific region.”
RTE international’s Chief Executive Officer Veronika Milewski said both agencies had more than 80 years of combined experience in providing these works. RTEi is implementing live transmission works throughout the world based on cutting-edge techniques proven successful for more than 60 years.
“This agreement is symbolic of our close and long-standing working relationship,” she said.
“RTE international and Powerlink have been leading providers of high voltage transmission network services for many years and this agreement gives access to the industry’s best technical experts.”
“We look forward to the evolution of our relationship and the expansion of our business and expertise to others within the Asia-Pacific region.”
The following engineering consultancy services for live substation works on transmission networks can be delivered by Powerlink and/or RTE international teams:
- Feasibility / opportunity studies
- Live substation work training and refreshers
- Drafting and updating of Documentary Corpus (live substation work conditions, system operating Mode, technical sheets)
- Audits and assessments
- Supply and adaption of specific live substation work equipment and machines to each network
- Studies for construction or rehabilitation of transmission networks facilities (substations)
- Supporting in the performance of engineering projects
- Audit on steering, performance and management of operation and maintenance
- Assistance for third parties to set up asset management policies for live substation work
The collaboration agreement establishes another positive element to an already long-standing relationship between the two companies.
