ElectraNet has provided an update that 29 transmission structures were damaged as a result of last night’s wild weather – including twenty-three transmission towers and six 132kV Stobie poles. The key details from the statement are below:
Thursday evening’s significant weather event has damaged the high-voltage network in the State’s north.
ElectraNet is in the process of completing inspections in the region but so far it has been revealed four towers have been damaged on the Davenport to Pimba 132kV line.
Significant damage has also occurred on the Davenport to Leigh Creek South 132kV line with 19 towers down. A further six 132kV Stobie poles have been damaged on the Brinkworth to Bungama line.
Earlier this afternoon, I asked our readers “How is the stockpile of temporary transmission towers around Australia looking?” – there are now 42 permanent transmission towers/structures currently down (including 7 in Broken Hill, NSW that collapsed on Thursday morning, and the 6 that are still being replaced in Anakie, VIC after they collapsed earlier in the year).
Image of a Stobie pole in South Australia.
Source: ABC
Its not just the stock of towers. Next year is the midway point of the Solar Cycle which is traditionally the most active ie potential for transformer damage. This would appear to be an issue for Tassie and maybe Victoria. As an energy consumer advocate I’d be interested to know the status of transformer stocks and if engineers have plans to increase stocks when mainland states become dependent on Marinus Link/Battery of the Nation to keep the lights on. Maybe the supply chain lessons of COVID have already been forgotten.