UK: National Grid has showcased techniques that could support the return of high-voltage live working in the UK for the first time in 25 years.
The event took place at National Grid’s Eakring training facility and highlighted the DEsign for Live Line Technology Acceleration project, known as DELLTA. The project is exploring safe ways to carry out maintenance and repairs on high-voltage transmission networks without switching them off.
DELLTA is led by National Grid Electricity Transmission in partnership with Frazer-Nash Consultancy and The University of Manchester. The event marked the completion of the Alpha phase, which received $604,909 (£458,121) through Ofgem’s Strategic Innovation Fund.
More than 40 energy industry representatives attended the demonstration, which included the replacement of a suspension insulator. The activity was carried out on a dead overhead line tower, allowing the team to explain the equipment, tools, techniques and safety procedures in a controlled environment.
The demonstration used insulated rope systems and bespoke lifting solutions, showing how these methods could support future live working on the operational network.
National Grid said maintenance is currently carried out through outages, which can be costly and difficult to schedule. Live working could help improve asset health, strengthen network resilience and reduce constraint costs.
The proposed three-year Beta phase, if funded, would further develop working methods, live testing, training and feasibility studies, with the aim of bringing live working into regular practice.
DELLTA forms part of National Grid’s wider innovation work, which also includes Dynamic Line Rating technology and drone-based overhead line inspections.
Source: National Grid
