30 January 2008 16:10 Central Networks takes to the sky to check power lines in Midlands
Central Networks, the power distribution company for central England, is to ‘fly the lines' across five Midlands counties in a helicopter.this week to find hard to spot faults and so improve service to its customers.
The company will send up a helicopter equipped with thermal vision equipment, which will be used to spot potential hazards and to highlight areas where future work may be necessary.
Jim O'Sullivan, Director of Infrastructure Services at Central Networks, said: "We're responsible for around 48,000km of overhead cabling across the Midlands, and using a helicopter patrol is the safest, fastest and most effective way to carry out checks on large sections of the network.
"This is vital work because it helps us spot potential problems before they develop, and that means we can plan our investment and maintenance work more effectively.
"Once we get the information back from the helicopter we can then make sure we can get out there and do the necessary work before it causes problems for our customers.
"We do this every year but, obviously, after the July floods it give us the extra opportunity to be sure about the condition of the network."
The exact timings and routes to be followed depend on weather conditions, but the plan is to fly over all of the substations and overhead lines in the county this week.
Ends
Notes to editors:
- Central Networks brings power to 4.9 million customers across the East and West Midlands through 133,000km of underground and overhead cables - enough to go round the Earth almost four times - and via almost 97,000 substations;
- Central Networks covers an area from the Peak District in the north to parts of Bristol in the south, and from the Welsh Borders to the Lincolnshire Coast.
For further information contact:
Andrew Barrow on 024 7618 3677
A selection of Central Networks pictures is available free of charge to the media by registering at www.newscast.co.uk and looking under Distribution