Electricity Asset Management Plan 2019-2029
104
Vector Limited://
Population and Age
RIPPLE CONTROL PLANT TYPE
QUANTITY
AVERAGE AGE
GEC Cyclocontrol
2
37
GPT
5
26
SFU-G 120
6
25
SFU-G 200
1
26
SFU-G 30
1
25
SFU-K 203
1
15
SFU-K 503
7
11
Zellweger 1050 Hertz
9
55
Table 4-10 Key statistics for Load Control plant
Condition and Health The systems on both networks are end-of-life and require upgrading and/or replacement.
Strategy Vector owns and is responsible for maintaining the load signalling equipment, e.g. the pilot wire system or ripple plant and the Retailer is responsible for installing and maintaining the load control relays. Assisting any replacement strategy is the transfer of Vector’s management of streetlights to Auckland Transport as they migrate these to LED luminaries with a new radio-based switching technology. This Auckland Transport programme began in 2014 and is planned for completion in four years (2023). The same systems we use to manage streetlights are used to manage hot water cylinders and so must be retained while Auckland Transport is migrating their streetlights which programme is making good and speedy progress and it is expected that from 2023 control of streetlights via our load control will not be required. Over the last two years Vector has spent considerable effort to trial and evaluate an alternative load management system to replace the pilot wire system in the Northern network and ageing ripple plants in the Auckland network and a digital radio controlled system has proved successful during field trials. This system will be rolled out over a number of years which means the existing ripple plants will continue to be maintained while some plants will require extensive refurbishment – this is detailed in Section 5. The Auckland network ripple system continues to provide a load management service. The Northern network load management systems (pilot wire system) have been discontinued due to the unreliability of the aged and end of life pilot wire system and the poor condition and lack of technical support for the GEC and Zellweger ripple plant but load control will be reinstated over time once the digital radio system is approved. 4.3.6 FIRE AND SECURITY SYSTEMS In FY18 Vector’s zone substation replacement programme to install CardaxTM security monitoring was completed. This replaced the end of life 1970’s control units fabricated by Guardall New Zealand. The intention is also for the zone substation fire detection system to communicate to the local Cardax security system for fire annunciation at Vector EOC, for EOC to then contact the Fire and Emergency New Zealand responder service. Category 1 substations, typically in the Auckland CBD, are also directly annunciated to Fire and Emergency New Zealand. Recently a sample assessment of the completed Cardax installations has found some sites non-compliant in this regard. A risk assessment has identified that a programme for the balance of zone substation buildings is required. The desktop study has identified 27 Auckland sites and 17 Northern sites, 44 in total. Our strategy includes replacing the old fire monitoring equipment by adding a Cardax fire detection isolation and annunciation panel connected to the existing Cardax security installation, and fire monitoring integration where multiple buildings exist. Connection to the automated fire annunciation service will also be added to the Category 1 Liverpool 110 kV and 22 kV switch rooms, and the three transformer buildings at Auckland Airport. The project will ensure zone substation buildings still have a properly integrated fire safety system. This gives assurance of the correct Fire and Emergency New Zealand response for fire and mitigates a recently identified HILP risk to the zone substation buildings, plant, personnel, customer power supply (potential SAIDI impact), and ultimately the public and our customers.
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