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ESB NETWORKS LTD
February/March 2014 • www.esb.ie/em
Successful energisation of the new Woodlands 400/220kV transformer
ON FRIDAY DECEMBER 20th last, 500MVA of additional transformer capacity was made available to the transmission system, when a new 400/220kV transformer was energised for the first time in Woodlands 400kV station.
The project was initiated in 2010 by ESB Networks Asset Management as a result of EirGrid's new East West Interconnector. Following detailed scoping and design by ESB International an 18-month civil and electrical construction programme to extend the existing busbar and build new 220kV and 400kV bays to connect in a 500MVA transformer, commenced under the management of HV Stations, Dublin.
The programme of delivery was challenging and was impacted by a number of events. There were a number of break- ins at the site when copper earths were stripped from the 220kV and 400kV bays. Outages were required to rectify damage caused, putting additional pressure on the construction team and transmission system. Following the assembly of the transformer a leaky 400kV bushing was discovered, which necessitated the manufacturer returning to make repairs. In the closing weeks of the year, while stringing overhead connections, the H V Lines crew faced some very inclement weather. The spirit in which the teams on site and the HV Stations supervisor overcame these challenges was commendable
A project of this scale can only be successfully delivered when the multiple stakeholders have a common goal of ensuring its delivery. This was demonstrated by all parties involved from the planning, scoping and design, construction and commissioning stages of the project. In the latter stages of the project the dedication of the ESB Networks and ESB International staff on site ensured the end of year target was reached. This project stands as a tangible realisation of ESB staffs’ expertise and ability to deliver large transmission projects for a world class electrical utility.
OIL/DIESEL STORAGE, HANDLING AND TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROJECT UPDATE
THE ENVIRONMENTAL Management Team in ESB Networks has been proactively engaging with relevant Business Lines, i.e., HV Delivery and Contracting, Distribution and Customer Services, Supply Chain and Fleet and Technical Training, to identify and implement necessary improvement measures with oil, waste oil, and diesel storage, handling and transportation, so as to minimise any associated environmental risks.
This project was broken down into three phases:
- Phase 1: Carry out an environmental risk assessment on all identified oil/diesel storage facilities, and review mineral oil transportation methods.
- Phase 2: Prioritise upgrade re quirements based on this risk as sessment.
- Phase 3: Carryout oil/diesel storage, handling, and transportation improvements.
Over the last two years, upgrade works have been completed at 19 locations nationwide. A major refurbishment of the diesel storage facility for generators on Inishturk island was finished in November of last year and 13 mobile bunded bowsers have now been purchased for the safe and compliant transportation of mineral insulating oil to and from ESB Network's HV Stations. In addition, approx. 400 staff have been trained in liquid spill response.
The connected world - a technology revolution
By Noel Rushe
Ferris Bueller famously said “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”. If you look around today you will see a major technology shift occurring called the “Internet of Things”.
ESTIMATES ARE that over 50 billion devices will be connected by the end of the decade. The impact could be so big, that it is being compared to the industrial revolution. But how often do we stop and look around to take in the changes we have lived through? Comparing life today with the 1970s, I recall our home had one TV channel and we had no phone. There were far fewer cars, flights were expensive and foreign holidays were rare. In essence, our world was smaller and much more local.
In the decades since we have experienced incredible change, perhaps more so than any previous period in history. Much of this has been aided by new technology which has helped us to communicate and connect with the world around us. Our world today seems smaller, and our ability to connect and communicate with everyone and to everywhere is immense. Having chosen a career in telecoms, I have seen many amazing technologies emerge from early inception to widespread adoption. In general, we rarely stop to look and see how much has changed until much later on when we look back. So what were the major technology shifts that we lived through ?
What is happening today, however, with the Internet of Things could make all this pale into significance. The Healthcare, Transport, Education and Energy sectors are all being transformed through the intelligent control of devices that we now have the ability to connect to. Cameras, cars, fridges, watches, health sensors, teaching equipment, smart meters and TVs are all connected. For example, Mercedes and BMW are now connecting up all new cars using mobile SIMs, allowing them to diagnose and assist with faults and breakdowns remotely. ESB are also trialling an array of new telecom technologies to enable connections to the Smart Grid and Smart Meter devices.
So when we eventually do stop and look back, I have no doubt this decade will be the one that we will marvel at the most, and where we truly moved to a connected world.
The 1980s
In the ‘80s, I worked for an American multinational and I was provided with my first PC. It was exciting to use and better than the old IBM mainframe terminal. This small machine would eventually change everything. In ESB at that time, a new National Control Centre was opened capable of remotely operating and monitoring HV substation equipment across the country. The Telecom Services group provided the necessary links, through a major expansion of its underground cable and radio networks, delivering the critical communications needed. Though the 80s saw a lot of change, two new technologies were emerging that would transform the decades to come.
The 1990s
In the ‘90s, Ireland had a major expansion of our motorways and we got low cost airlines. In technology we saw the growth in use of the mobile phone. Later in the decade another revolutionary technology began to gain widespread adoption. In the autumn of 1995 I attended one of the largest telecom trade shows in the world. Amongst the hundreds of stands at the show, I visited a small stand exhibiting a new technology called the Internet. Without search engines etc., it did not seem so significant, and few there that week could have realised the impact it would have on the way we work, live and play. In ESB, new Distribution Control Centres and new Contact Centres were being setup in Dublin and Cork. These new centres required further expansion of the Telecom Services communication networks to support them.
The 2000s
The ‘00s were dominated by mobile communications and broadband expansion. Previously, communications were mainly between fixed phones or PCs. Now, as mobile phone usage proliferated and SMS usage increased, communications took place more often between people using their mobiles. Smart phones accelerated this and today the number of mobiles connected to the Internet has surpassed the number of PCs. ESB moved from mainframe computers to PCs, the Internet, laptops and remote access. ESB entered the telecom market in the late 90s through a joint venture with BT, and subsequently established a commercial telecom subsidiary called ESB Telecoms Ltd. This subsidiary managed and sold space on an extensive array of Telecom towers developed by Telecom Services, as well as building a new national fibre optic network. This fibre optic network was wrapped across thousands of kilometres of transmission lines throughout the country and ESB Telecoms Ltd quickly became a key player in the wholesale supply of broadband to operators in Ireland.
