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ESB NETWORKS LTD
December 2012/January 2013 www.esb.ie/em
How will the second internet revolution spark change in the control of the electricity network?
THE ENERGY, health and education sectors will usher in the second internet revolution according to a recent prediction by Steve Case, former CEO of AOL. He says, “I have no doubt over the next 25 years those industries will be fundamentally reshaped, transformed, disrupted by this second internet revolution”.
Building a nationwide Telecoms Network
For ESB and EirGrid there has been a major shift over the last 30 years to centralised control centres using energy management systems and advanced nationwide telecommunication systems, including fibre optics, microwave and UHF radios. This has led to a large amount of telecom circuits connecting back to control centre equipment rooms, which are mushrooming in size to house the termination equipment required. Yet opportunities still remain to connect to a much larger amount of the network including hundreds of thousands of 10kV and 20kV transformers, feeders etc. as well as millions of meters.
The Second Internet revolution
Clearly, we cannot continue to add vast amounts of circuits and this is where we see the possibilities of the second internet revolution appearing. Internet protocol, or IP connects in a web format, mean that a circuit back to the control centre from each device or location is not needed, but rather only a connection to the web will suffice. This will facilitate a major increase in connections from devices, known as ‘the Internet of Things’ (IOT) and will enable smart grids and smart metering to fully function.
In the next edition of EM, we will look at why IP using broadband connections to homes and businesses has become so prolific, but is only now taking off for operational requirements in utilities such as the ESB.
2013 will see ESB Networks embark on an ambitious programme of works on the Transmission System
ESB Networks has agreed with EirGrid a programme of works for the Transmission System for 2013 that will see it deliver the most extensive programme of works ever achieved in a single year on the Transmission System.
New Stations
Five new 220kV/110kV GIS stations are to be constructed and integrated into the existing Transmission System over the next three years in the south-west of the country. The primary driver for these new stations being the significant amount of renewable generation seeking to connect to the system in this region.
All of these projects have now been scoped and we are close to achieving the final sets of capital approvals. In a number of cases civil works have already commenced and by the New Year civil works should be underway for all five stations.
In addition to these greenfield sites, the programme includes the replacement of existing stations with new GIS stations at a further seven locations. The main driver for many of these projects is asset condition. Projects to replace existing stations pose their own particular challenges as we are generally building on existing sites and in a number of cases there is a significant amount of enabling works to be undertaken to make the site suitable for the new station.
Station Uprates
Aside from new builds there is a large programme of works to upgrade existing stations. This programme includes projects to install new 400kV/220kV 500MVA transformers at both Woodland and Dunstown 400kV stations. Protection upgrade projects at a number of stations including Raffeen 220kV, Arklow 220kV and Trabeg 110kV stations will also be undertaken. Busbar uprate projects will be un-dertaken at Ennis 110kV, Navan110kV, Cushaling 110kV, Thornsberry 110kV, Cathaleens Falls 110kV, Bellacorick 110kV, Butlerstown 110kV and Thurles 110kV stations.
Transmission Lines
On the lines side, work continues on the construction of a new 68km 110kV circuit between Binbane and Letterkenny 110kV stations and it is expected that this circuit will be energised in October 2013.
In addition, 325km of 110kV and 125km of 220kV Transmission lines across the country are programmed to be uprated or refurbished over the course of 2013. A combination of conventional 430 ACSR (Aluminium Cored Steel Re-inforced) and new technology HTLS (High Temperature Low Sag) conductors will be employed for the line uprates. This facilitates the use of existing circuits to carry more energy on the transmission infrastructure.
Customers
2013 will also see completion of works to facilitate the connection of a number of IPPs to the Transmission System at Reamore 110kV station, Mount Lucas 110kV station and Great Island 220kV station. In addition, new customer connections for Amazon and Intel are to be completed during 2013.
Business Process continuous improvement in ESB Networks
What is a process?
A process is just a series of planned actions that bring about a desired result. We have many of them in ESB Networks e.g. the New Connection process is all the actions involved from when the customer first makes contact with us about getting a new connection to their premises, to when they are finally connected to the network. There are lots of others e.g. - maintenance process for, say, an overhead line; the cost allocation process where we identify where we spend our money; and lots more. When you think about it, everything we do, either at home or at work, is a process of some sort. Each process has a goal or an output that we wish to achieve.
During the course of our working day all of us in ESB Networks are involved in multiple processes, the outputs of which impact, directly or indirectly, on our external customers or our internal customers, i.e. our colleagues in Networks or indeed ESB company wide.
In order to achieve continuous process improvement, we in ESB Networks has commenced a programme of Business Process Reviews, aimed at improving the effectiveness of our organisation to the benefit of both external and internal customers. These reviews will be lead by staff directly involved in the processes and will be supported by Val Warren and Colm Smyth who are members of the Networks Performance Improvement Team.
Examples of processes presently being reviewed by the relevant teams are:
- Hire of tools and equipment
- Corporate Procurement cards
- Distribution and Customer Services work programme preparation and planning.
“Typically, the reviews will involve looking at the activities which currently form part of the process.
In most cases the projects will be run on a part-time basis and will take in the order of eight to ten weeks to complete for a particular process. Typically, the reviews will involve looking at the activities which currently form part of the process. This will be done in conjunction with discussions with some of the staff involved and also the customers of the process. These discussions are aimed at understanding what adds value to the process and what hinders or detracts from its effectiveness. Following analysis, if changes to improve the performance of the process are identified, it will be refined or re-designed and a process owner will be nominated to ensure we implement the planned improvements.
A Programme Board comprising of five Networks Senior Management Team Members - Donal Crean, John O’Gorman, Gerry Mooney, Paul Mulvaney and Padraig O’Hiceadha has been established to oversee the reviews. The Board held its first meeting on October 24th and will meet on a monthly basis.
