SA Power Networks has used state-of-the-art technology to inform, manage and speed its response to the River Murray flood event, the worst since 1956.

Video Source: 10 News First Adelaide.

SA Power Networks partnered with infrastructure software provider Neara to assess network damage and risk through digital flood impact modelling.

It’s the first time the electricity distributor has used LiDAR-related technology in responding to an extreme weather-related event. (LiDAR is a technology that uses laser beams to measure distances and create 3D maps of the Earth's surface or objects. The data collected can then be used to create sophisticated modelling).

By utilising Neara’s AI-powered modelling capabilities, SA Power Networks completed a report in fifteen minutes analysing 21,000 powerline spans within the flood impacted area. This process would have taken months to complete utilising manual business systems and resources.

The 3D modelling obtained allowed SA Power Networks to model impacts on electricity distribution network assets at various flood levels and to predict where and when powerlines would breach clearances or be inundated requiring electricity disconnection. And, as the river levels have returned to normal, the modelling has been used to assist in planning reconnection of supply along the river.

“By monitoring water and clearance levels daily, we were able to leave power on for longer for many customers along the river as the floodwaters rose significantly in December and also restore power more quickly as water receded,” said General Manager, Network Management, Doug Schmidt.

“This innovative approach, based on digital insights, allowed for the re-energisation of power lines within five days compared with the originally anticipated three-week time frame using traditional manual methods.

“The data also was an essential part of ensuring safety for the community, emergency service personnel and our people through the latter part of the flood event,” said Mr Schmidt.

“We are particularly proud of the fact that despite the very real risks associated with hundreds of kilometres of powerline and electricity infrastructure standing in floodwaters, we have not had one report of electric shock throughout the extended flood period.”

The work has provided SA Power Networks with a rich source of highly accurate data that will be used to manage the flood recovery and future flood events along the River.

“With Neara we refined the flood modelling process to conduct network impact analysis and reporting in the midst of what was a major environmental emergency,” said SA Power Networks Strategic Initiative Manager, Paul Topping.

“Visualising how our assets were behaving under flood conditions helped rapidly accelerate our reenergisation plan and stabilise the network to the benefit of thousands of residents.

“We are currently in the process of sharing the LiDAR data gathered with the State Government and other agencies and have no doubt it will provide valuable insights on floodwater behaviour and inform future planning and responses to flood events on the River Murray,” Mr Topping said.

Jack Curtis, Neara’s Chief Commercial Officer said: “Our flood modelling work with SA Power Networks continues to validate our platform as the global innovator for network resiliency in the face of extreme weather events. We are proud of the impact that our technology has on both our network customers, but also the communities that rely on them for safe and reliable power delivery. We look forward to further supporting SA Power Networks’ efforts to keep communities connected.”

About SA Power Networks

SA Power Networks is an innovation leader in electricity distribution in Australia, particularly as it manages the State’s rapid transition to a net-100% renewable energy system. It supplies South Australia’s population of 1.7 million people across an area of 178,000 square kilometres. In the River Murray flood, 400 miles of powerline and some 4,000 power poles were inundated by floodwater.

About Neara

Neara enables global utilities to future-proof their critical infrastructure. It creates 3D network-wide models that reflect and simulate how utility assets behave in their real-world environment in any scenario, empowering utilities to prepare their networks for a broad spectrum of use cases — from systematic risks to severe weather and a clean energy future, to keeping assets, teams, and communities safe. Our customers identify and reduce risks 9x faster across a combined territory of > 1.0 million square miles and >7.9m assets. For more information, visit neara.com

More information

Want to learn more? Read about how we used LiDAR to manage our River Murray flood response