Urgent intervention needed to stop deterioration of electricity assets

19th April 2013

By: Sashnee Moodley

Senior Deputy Editor Polity and Multimedia

  

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The electricity distribution grid in South Africa is only a few years away from collapse, which would result in unexpected power failures, as most infrastructure is nearing the end of its life cycle and the general tendency to deal with maintenance happens only when a breakdown occurs.

Software solutions company Ciber Terrasoft technical director Raj Rajakanthan says this is an expensive and unsustainable approach.

Former electricity transmission and distribution specialist EDI Holdings proposed an approach to distribution asset management, which states that an urgent intervention is required to halt the deterioration of electricity assets in South Africa and restore the network to full working order.

After much lobbying, Cabinet approved the electricity distribution asset-manage- ment turnaround programme last year to deal with these concerns, says Rajakanthan.

He notes that a possible solution is Ciber Terrasoft’s Digital Capturing of Electrical Networks (D-CENT) software application, which the company developed in 2007 to capture the condition of electricity networks to better understand the nature of their deterioration so that recurring problems and premature failure can be dealt with effectively.

D-CENT, which was officially launched in 2010, collects data by computerisation and eliminates the need for standalone global positioning satellite (GPS) receivers, paper, pens and clipboards. The application runs on Windows Mobile hand-held devices with built in GPS receivers and cameras.

It creates accurate as-built or technical drawings and once the data has been analysed, it is possible for engineers to tackle construction and/or maintenance training issues, refine construction standards and, in some cases, modify specifications for equipment and parts manufacturers.

Rajakanthan explains that, in 2006, Ciber Terrasoft held discussions with State-owned power utility Eskom and consulting engineers on how technology could be used to assist them with the main challenges, which, at that time, was to quantify which components of the network were prone to premature failure. This resulted in costly repair work as it involved the dispatch of crews to remote locations.

Premature failure can not only lead to service interruptions but could also com- promise public safety, says Rajakanthan.

“Our idea was centred on the use of the Nasdaq-listed Trimble, mobile giant Motorola or similar handheld mobile devices, with built-in GPS receivers, to collect data in the field. The objective was to not burden the user with GPS coordinates, as they would be captured in the background. The application is simple and intuitive, enabling the qualified technician to use it, with only minimal com- puter literacy.”

The tool is able to pose questions systematically and capture responses that fully describe the condition of each asset.

The D-CENT application software is compact and faci- litates the capturing of large amounts of data and accommodates unlimited simultaneous users. It caters for the use of an external high-zoom camera to capture high-quality images to support the data entered.

The number of images captured depends on and is limited to the memory capacity of the camera. The images make it easier for engineers to fully analyse and understand the problems that are on site.

Data can be downloaded to a desktop system for reconcilia- tion and review. D-CENT enables the user to export data in the necessary format to the municipalities’ respective IT systems.

The software also allows the user to view the entire network layout and then click on a node to view all the data and images captured for that particular node.

Since 2010, the software has been upgraded to capture medium-voltage and high- voltage networks. D-CENT can be easily customised so that the customer, in this case the party responsible for infrastructure maintenance, can specify the type of questionnaires and possible responses it would like to pose for the different types of assets.

Rajakanthan notes that D-CENT is suitable for use by municipalities, as the software can produce a comprehensive asset register that would serve as the basis for implementing a suitable asset-management strategy.

He says it is important that municipalities know what and where the problematic assets are within their networks to prioritise and schedule maintenance activities.

“A detailed network audit is the only way to collect the necessary asset and condition data from which accurate and justifiable maintenance plans can be developed,” he notes.

Further, the compilation of an asset register is a legislative requirement, as stated in the generally recognised accounting practice implementation guide for municipalities by the National Treasury.

Rajakanthan says the aim of D-CENT is, therefore, to help municipalities compile an asset register so that they can focus on their specific mandates, while fulfilling their regulatory requirements.

“Eskom appointed consultants used D-CENT during the capturing process. Large amounts of data were collected at only one-third of the cost, compared with the traditional method of using GPS receivers and manual data capturing. These studies have been taking place since 2009 and the data was then made available to the consulting engineers and Eskom for analysis,” he explains.

Stagnating Maintenance
The national power distribution grid will gradually collapse and result in power failures unless the maintenance backlog is addressed, says Western Cape Overstrand municipality deputy director of electro-technical services Deon Louw.

EDI Holdings noted in its Approach to Distribution Asset Management business plan that with the impending Regional Electricity Distributors (Reds)many local distributors are seemingly withholding investment into distribution networks owing to a perceived uncertain future.

Attempts to deal with capacity and other problems in the electricity-distribution industry by amalgamating the electricity-distribution functions of local government and Eskom into six Reds have not been successful and have been abandoned.

As a result, many local distributors are withholding investment into distribution networks as a result of a perceived uncertain future.

Insufficient funding for municipalities, particularly for the maintenance of infrastructure and upgrading, and a shortage of skilled staff add to municipalities inability to maintain their networks.

Further, increased electricity demand and the rapid rate of urbanisation are exceeding the designed loading capacity of existing networks.

Turnaround Programme Approved in November 2012
Cabinet’s approval of the electricity distribution asset- management turnaround programme to address the ageing electricity infrastructure includes developing a business plan for the project, standardised refurbishment maintenance, and process recommendations.

The key component to starting an asset-management programme is an accurate and up-to-date asset register, Rajakanthan notes.

“The maintenance backlog is huge and there is simply insufficient funding and resources to tackle them all simultaneously. Using the gathered data or asset registers, planners can effectively prioritise and schedule maintenance work, replacement and upgrades to ensure continued service with- out compromising public safety,” he concludes.

Edited by Tracy Hancock
Creamer Media Contributing Editor

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