Over 80,000 kilometers of conventional bare conductors has been replaced with aerial bundled conductors in recent years, the head of Iran's Power Generation, Distribution and Transmission Company (Tavanir) said.
Replacing and improving old network, preserving the environment, reducing power wastage, decreasing electricity theft and increasing the safety of the electricity network in natural disasters are among the benefits of the project,” Bargh News website quoted Mohammad Hassan Motevallizadeh as saying.
Khuzestan and North Khorasan provinces are leading in implementing the project. The task is also being carried out in other provinces. Replacing old cables with new ones will be completed in Khorasan Razavi, Tehran, Lorestan and Fars Provinces by the end of the year (March 2021), he added.
Aerial bundled conductors are overhead power lines using several insulated phase conductors bundled tightly together, usually with a bare neutral conductor.
This contrasts with the traditional practice of using uninsulated conductors separated by air gaps. The variation of bundled conductors utilizes the same principles as overhead power lines, except that they are closer together to the point of touching but each conductor is surrounded by an insulating layer.
The main objections to the traditional design are that the multiple conductors are considered unappealing, and external forces (such as high winds) can cause them to touch and short circuit. The resultant sparks have been a cause of bushfires in drier climates. This is a potentially dangerous fault condition. With ABC, a simultaneous disconnection of all conductors is more likely.
In moister climates, tree growth is a significant problem for overhead power lines. Aerial bundled cables will not arc over if touched by tree branches. Although persistent rubbing is still a problem, tree-trimming costs can be reduced.
Implementing power transmission and distribution substation projects, as well as extending aerial and ground transmission cables, are among Tavanir’s duties.
To further stabilize electricity supply, the company has embarked on upgrading metering systems in residential and commercial units, notably by installing smart meters that allow for reading consumption remotely and instantly.
The new meters record energy consumption more accurately compared to conventional meters and send data to regional electricity companies.
Since 2014, almost 400,000 energy-intensive agricultural, housing and commercial units have been supplied with smart electricity meters. Five million energy-intensive units will be equipped with the smart meters over five years.
Utilities in the developed and developing countries are promoting modern electricity meters for economic and environmental reasons, namely to reduce cost and consumption.
