The Operation and Maintenance Department of East 1 Region of Transmission Lines and Distribution Stations of Ethiopian Electric Power has announced that the capacity building and upgrading of the control room of Harar No. 3 132 KV power distribution station is underway.

According to the department’s technical support expert, Tewodros Yeene, the ongoing capacity building and improvement work will help modernize the operations of the distribution station.

He said that the capacity building and improvement work is aimed at replacing the existing controls at the distribution station with another control.

According to Mr. Tewodros, the station’s previous controller was air-operated (vacuum switchgear), and the controller that is currently being changed is a gas-operated GIS (Gas Insulated System).

Mr. Tewodros mentioned that the improvement work is being done on the 33 KV power lines, which will enable the control work of the station to be carried out with up-to-date technology.

G.I. He pointed out that the installation of a S control breaker will allow the two output lines that were coming out together to be released separately when the work is completed, and will increase the number of 33 kV output lines from four to six.

When the two lines are consumed together, they will not only cause power outages due to planned maintenance works and sudden problems, but also put a negative pressure on the energy meter.

The expert recalled that when there were problems with the air-operated controller, it took longer to carry out maintenance work efficiently.

The expert said that the change of the controller will help in carrying out the operation and maintenance works easily by overcoming the problems encountered during the power outages and maintenance works.

He also pointed out that the current maintenance work is being done without interruption of the power supply.

Having the site’s control switchover performed independently by East Region One and Two maintenance professionals will help ease future maintenance problems, transfer knowledge, and save the facility from additional costs.

“Clean energy for a better life!”