To better manage its assets, Energy Queensland is creating a 3D digital twin of its above- and below-ground infrastructure.
These resources consist of 1.7 million electrical poles, 153,000 substations, and 178,000 kilometres of overhead wires.
Shannon Connolly, a GIS delivery executive, revealed at the most recent Esri user conference 2022 that the business uses the geographic information system ArcGIS utility network, which is intended for utility suppliers.
The programme offers a variety of use scenarios, such as models that “zoom out” to an actual image of an asset—for instance, a substation—and provide multiple layers of detail to “zoom in” on, including schematics and color-coded connecting points.
Field teams also utilise it to virtually scope assets prior to a truck roll, ensuring that they are aware of what they are working with and any potential replacement parts before they arrive at the job.
Before starting work, “our field personnel can travel up to a day just to reach at a network site,” Connolly added.
“Since site visits are not feasible in advance of this job, precise system information is essential to ensuring that the appropriate tools, materials, and safety protocols are in place before crews leave for their journey.
“We do not want our crews to show up to the job site unable to perform their duties.”
The programme is also increasingly being used to map the connections between renewable assets and the current grid infrastructure.
Energy Queensland is “improving all of our substation data to help in the building of a full digital twin of all above-ground power systems,” Connolly continued.