Alectra and Hydro One to collaborate on transformer station repair
Alectra Utilities and Hydro One have initiated a collaborative effort to repair the Newton Transformer Station in Hamilton, Ontario.
Hydro One crews will replace up to 30 insulators at the station that are more than 70 years old. Initially scheduled for December 2020, this project was delayed to the spring to minimize disruption to homes and businesses during the repairs.
Due to safety concerns for crews completing the work, large sections of the station must be removed from service. This would require multiple and prolonged outages (8 – 12 hours) impacting roughly 8,500 customers to complete several insulator replacements at risk of failure. With stay-at-home orders in place, and residents relying on dependable power more than ever, additional planning was undertaken to ensure minimal interruption.
In order to alleviate service interruptions while crews conduct the necessary work, Hydro One and Alectra are bringing in a Mobile Transformer Unit to keep customers energized. This innovative solution will supply the 8,500 customers who would have otherwise been without power during the critical repair period.
“Customers may experience a momentary interruption the weekend of May 7-9 as crews divert feeders for the required work to proceed,” said Chris Hudson, Senior Vice President, Network Operations at Alectra Utilities. “While there is no ideal timing for major improvements or the outages necessary to complete them– our engineering and operations team has conducted extensive planning to ensure any disruptions are moments instead of hours.”
“To reduce service disruptions and the need for future outages, we are bundling our work as much as possible to enhance power reliability in Hamilton for years to come,” said Andrew Spencer, Vice President, Transmission and Stations, Hydro One. “By upgrading ageing infrastructure in the region, we are modernizing the electricity system while building a better and brighter future.”
Alectra’s distribution system and the Hydro One Transformer Station require upgrading so they can serve the increasing demand of the Hamilton community, especially while Hamiltonians are working and studying from home. This project will provide improved reliability and potentially avoid future unplanned loss of supply events that would likely have a much longer repair time.
Source: Alectra Utilities
Photo (for illustrative purposes): Hamilton Ontario Skyline / Nhl4Hamilton/ Wikimedia / Public Domain
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