Construction and Maintenance Department
Aims
The continuous extension, reinforcement and maintenance of the Transmission and Distribution Network of the Area in order to enable it to respond to the present and future electricity needs of the customers of the Authority while maintaining at the same time high levels of safely, security and reliability.
Sectors of Work
The Construction and Maintenance Department comprises four sections which cooperate closely for achieving the set aims as well as for improving the customers’ service level.
- Underground Construction
- Overhead Construction
- System Operation
- Transmission and Distribution Substation Maintenance.
Underground Construction
The underground construction Section deals with the extension and improvement of the underground distribution network of the Area. The main works carried out are shown below:
- Excavation and laying of underground cables of medium and low cottage for electricity supply to buildings, land parcellation into building plots, houses, commercial and industrial premises, street Lighting columns etc.
- Termination and commissioning of underground cables.
- Installation of plant and commissioning of distribution substations.
- Installation of fibre optic cables.
- Location and rectification of faults involving underground cables.
Service to Customers of the Underground Cable Section
Due to the nature of work carried out by the Underground Cable Section and the rapid building development which requires the continuous extension of the underground network Officers of the Section are called upon to serve a great number of customers who are interested in expediting their own application.
Owing to the nature of their work the Officers of the Section are obliged to go to the worksite and other areas where the Authority’s gangs are working for the purpose of supervising work or solving problems cropping up while at the same time they are involved in work for the rectification of faults.
In view of the above their continuous presence at the Office for providing information is not always possible.
For better service to customers the Authority has introduced the institution of the Customer Service Centre (CSC).
- Persons interested in information about the progress of their applications are urged to apply to the CSC. The person in change of the CSC will contact the competent officer of the Underground cables Section and will provide the relevant replies the soonest possible.
- Jobs involving excavation work require time consuming procedures and therefore ample time should be given by the customer in advance of the required date of electrification.
- For better programming of works, customers must forward in time the relevant notification to the Authority (which was handed over to them together with the terms for supply) with which they inform the Underground Cables. Section that they have completed all construction work indicated to them and that their premises are ready for the laying of the cables.
Overhead Construction Section
The Overhead Construction Section has the following responsibilities:
- Maintenance of the transmission network
- Construction and Maintenance of the Medium Voltage distribution network (22KV / 11KV) and of the low voltage distribution network (230 V)
- Construction and Maintenance of overhead service lines to premises.
- Installation of electrical energy meters in premises.
- Construction of Street Lighting network
Service to customers of the Overhead.
Network Construction Section
Due to the nature of their work the Officers of the Section are obliged to go to the worksites of the Authority gangs for supervision of work and solving of problems that may crop up while at the same time they are involved in the rectification of faults.
In view of this they are absent from their office for long periods of time.
For better service to customers the Authority has introduced the institution of the Customer Service Centre (CSC).
- Persons interested information about the progress of their application are urged to apply to the CSC. The person in charge of the CSC will contact the competent officer the Overhead Construction.
- Sector and will provide the relevant replies the soonest possible.
System Operation Section
The System Operation Section deals mainly with the following work:
- Continuous monitoring of loads on the feeder cables from the Main and Primary Transmission Substation and the Primary Distribution Substation.
- Checking and up dating of the single line diagrams of the 11KV Medium Voltage Distribution System.
- Coordination of the daily interruptions and switchings taking place on the Distribution System. Recording of the interruptions / switchings which are in progress.
- General supervision of the two SCADA Systems for Transmission and Distribution (operations, inspection of alarms etc).
- Location of weak interconnection and points where there is no alternative feeding, and informing the Planning Section accordingly for carrying out the necessary study.
- Updating, improvement and development of the Remote Switching System of the Distribution System i.e. by improving the functionality and reliability of the System and by installing new switches capable of being remotely operated.
- Location of points where the installation of Switches are required and informing the Planning Department accordingly.
- Rearrangement of the break points of the 11KV System for better operation, balancing of loads and reduction of losses.
- Recording of summer and winter loads of Distribution Substations and location of the overloaded transformers. At the same time other problems are recorded and passed over to the substation Maintenance Sector for rectification.
- Collection of information and preparation of reports relating to behavior and efficiency of Distribution System of the Area.
- Location of faults using specialized instruments.
- Study of loads on outgoing feeders, forecast of expected summer/ winter loads and preparation of action plans for various fault scenarios.
The Officers of the System Operation Section to come in direct contract with customers except in cases of severe faults which affect wide areas and/ or basic customers. In case you experience an interruption of supply to your premises, you may report it by telephoning to the number 1800 where a competent officer will record your problem or he will inform you accordingly.
Transmission and Distribution Substation Maintenance Section.
The transmission and Distribution Substation Maintenance Section deals with the construction of new Transmission Substations and the upgrading / extension / maintenance of existing ones. It deals also with preventive maintenance of equipment of the transmission and distribution substations and of plant and equipment installed on the Medium Voltage network (e.g. Voltage Regulators, AutoReclosers, ground mounted transformers, Metering Units etc).
The most important work of the Maintenance Section are the following:
1. Ten year/ Two year Maintenance of Distribution Substations.
(a) Ten year Maintenance
Every year approximately 100 Distribution Substations undergo maintenance which among other work includes:
- Replacement of insulating oil of 11KV Switchgear.
- General cleaning and inspection of the operation of the plant.
- Inspection of the condition of the Substation building.
- Marking of the outgoing medium voltage cables.
(b) Two year Maintenance
Every two years a preventive inspection of building and of the plant of Distribution substations is carried out and any deficiencies are replenished. This maintenance among other work includes:
General visual inspection of the building (water insulation, gravel, doors etc).
- Checking and repair of electrical installation.
- Cleaning of outgoing low voltage feeders on Pillar, switchgear and transformer under voltage.
- Marking of outgoing medium voltage cables.
2. Maintenance of Transmission Substation Equipment
At regular time intervals transmission substation plant and equipment undergo maintenance, in accordance with Technical Instructions and with the manuals of the manufacturers of each piece of plant and equipment which include:
- Power Transformers
- Earthing Transformers
- Bus Sections
- Circuit breakers 132/ 66 KV
- Voltage Transformers / Current Transformers and Lighting Arresters
- Relays
- 11 KV Circuit breakers.
3. Maintenance of Remaining Equipment
- Accumulators
- Air conditioners
- Capacitors
- Auto Reclosers
- Voltage Regulators
- Thermal Camera
- Spraying and Weeding
4. Mari Workshop
A workshop for the repair, maintenance and inspection of pole mounted and ground mounted transformers is operational at Mari. It is manned by two persons of the Section who are interchanged at regular time intervals.
5. Development Projects
6. Investigation and rectification of faults on plant and equipment of Transmission and Distribution Substations.
The officers of the T & D Substation Maintenance Section do not come into direct contact with the customers except in cases of interruption of supply for the 10-year maintenance of plant and equipment of Distribution Substations.
In these cases consumers are informed at least 48 hours in advance of the interruption by means a special form and the Pancyprian Centre for fault reporting is also informed about the area which will be without electricity. Whenever there is an interruption of supply to your premises, you may report it over the telephone at the number 1800 where a competent officer will record your problem or will inform you accordingly.