Crews will start work on the architect-designed Waverley zone substation this month which will power 25,000 homes around Australia’s iconic beachside suburbs.
Ausgrid General Manager Transmission Trevor Armstrong said the new indoor substation would be next to the existing zone substation in Anglesea Street, Bondi, and would power Waverley, Bellevue Hill, Bondi and Double Bay by mid 2013.
“The existing heritage-listed substation was built in 1929 and its last major upgrade was in 1959,” Armstrong said. “It has performed well over the years but is now approaching the time for replacement.”
The work follows more than 12 months of community consultation and planning which included distributing four newsletters to a total of 2800 residents and holding two community information sessions.
Work will take about two years to complete with crews on site from Monday to Friday between 7am and 6pm, and Saturday between 8am to 3pm.
Once built, the new substation will include:
- Two 132/11-kV transformers,
- Five bays of 132-kV switchgear,
- 28 11-kV switchgear panels, which connect to the existing street network that supplies local suburbs,
- 35 protection and control panels.
“Two new 132-kV underground cables will also be laid to link the substation to the existing network, bringing power into the facility. These cables will replace five existing 33-kV cables in the area,” Armstrong said. “Cable crews have been working in the local area to relocate underground cables in preparation for the new electrical equipment.”
Cable work prepares new sub-transmission substation
Civil construction is underway at Ausgrid’s replacement Canterbury sub-transmission substation following the relocation of more than 500 m of 33-kV cables on site.
Specialist cable jointing crews spent about three months relocating the cables within the existing substation boundaries.
About 500 m of fiber optic cable was also installed to replace the existing pilot cables. Completion of the cable relocation has paved the way for the construction of a modern 900 square meter building within the current Canterbury site. The new building will house 11 bays of 132-kV gas insulated switchgear and 32 bays of 33-kV gas insulated switchgear.
Substation technicians, including a number of the organization’s apprentice electrical mechanics, are expected to begin the fit out in early 2012.
Crews are also working to complete a 22 km 132-kV cable link between the sub-transmission substation and zone substations in Kogarah and Rockdale. The 22-km 132-kV cable link is one of the largest replacement projects in the state.
More than 80 cable jointers, electricity technicians and testers will help replace the existing cables which were installed almost 40 years ago.
Work on the $214 million replacement of the area’s 132-kV underground network is expected to be complete by early 2013 and will help supply more than 40,000 homes and businesses in Sydney’s south.
The $45 million redevelopment of the Canterbury sub-transmission substation is due for completion in 2014.
