Saltwater 'tees off' powerlines

21 May 2009

Power and Water is replacing more than 15 kilometres of powerlines from the City Zone Substation to Mindil Beach this week.  Crossing through The Gardens Golf Club, the operation is creating a few unusual hazards for golfers as bucket trucks navigate around the greens and hard hats have come in handy dodging golf balls.

As Bertram Birk, General Manager Power Networks explains, ‘These lines have been in place for at least 30 years and while they could last a lot longer under normal circumstances, they are prone to corrosion in this location.

‘The whole area has a high underground salt level and with natural convection -  moisture being drawn out of the ground during the day, the salt is drawn up with it and corrodes the metal core of the powerlines over time.

‘We have at least 20 highly trained staff including line crews, operators and electricians working at height and on the ground.  This is hot, heavy and complex work that is not easy to do hanging off a cross-arm”.

Strung on 16-metre high pylons at 120-metre spans, the two sets of powerlines run from the City Zone Substation, one at 11kv serving the Cullen Bay area and the other at 66kv to the undersea cable across the Cox Peninsula. 

Contact: Media Manager

Phone: For media enquiries call 08 8985 8481