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ESB NETWORKS LTD
February/March 2012 www.esb.ie/em
NIE
On Wednesday December 14th, NIE requested help repairing faults on the double circuit 275kV Coolkeeragh-Magherafelt line where snow, ice-loading and strong winds had caused the line to fall in several places. Eoin Walron and Supervisor Kieran O Donnell were dispatched to the scene.
A team of 17 NTs from Dublin North Region travelled to a remote site near Draperstown in Co Derry where several conductors and a long section of shield-wiring were damaged. After working through the weekend, the line was restored five days later on Monday 19th.
Two weeks later, when Ulli hit, there was extensive damage in north Antrim and along a corridor running from north of Glasgow to Edinburgh. NIE reported 35,000 customers without supply because of more than 500 individual faults and in Scotland more than 160,000 customers were affected by in excess of 1,000 individual faults.
Following an NIE request for help on the 4th, 14 ESB crews from Dundalk, Drogheda, Mullingar and Dublin North, led by Dundalk Area Manager David O'Neill and Construction Supervisor Dominic Kilpatrick, travelled across the border to help with the relief effort, working for three days around Craigavon and Ballymena before returning to their depots.
A helping hand for Scotland
THE DAMAGE caused to the Scottish distribution and transmission networks was unprecedented and ESB received requests for help from Scottish Power and SSE. In total, 22 ESB Networks crews volunteered to help arriving in Scotland, via Larne, on Thursday 5th. One team led by David O'Neill and Supervisors Pat Crinnion and Robert Grimes, helped SSE restore supply along the west coast of Scotland while another, led by Back-to-Basics Manager Seamus Berry, along with Supervisors Dominick Kilpatrick and Ger Lydon, helped Scottish Power around Cambusleang and Glasgow. Despite being on unfamiliar territory, crews were able to reach reported faults quickly thanks to the sat-navs that they had brought with them!
Some of those in David's group travelled to the Island of Islay, famed for its whiskey distilleries, to make repairs - a journey that required four ferry trips in total.
The last of the ESB crews returned to their depots on Tuesday 10th, having spent five days working on the Scottish relief effort.
In conclusion
The efforts made by NTs and support staff at home and abroad were another remarkable example of the volunteer spirit that is to be found throughout ESB. It was also an example of corporate good neighbourliness and the Irish proverb: Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine – We all depend on one another.
