Improved power restoration time expected, says SESB

Kota Kinabalu: Consumers in Sabah can expect improved power restoration time with Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd's (SESB) additional four Emergency Restoration System (ERS) towers. The ERS towers are used to bypass transmission lines around towers or entire substations that are under construction or being maintained, replaced, or expanded.

Standing at 33-metres high, it is an aluminium alloy structure designed to rapidly bypass permanent transmission towers at any voltage in any terrain and can be erected within a day, subject to ground condition.

With this in mind, SESB invested RM4 million to buy four new sets of the ERS towers from Lindsey Manufacturing Company of the United States.

"We not only saved a lot of time in terms of restoring power to consumers but are also able to reduce losses incurred," said its General Manager (Transmission) Mohd Yaakob Jaafar when met during a ERS field training held at SESB main substation in Kayu Madang here, on Monday.

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He explained that it would take about three months to complete repairs when a permanent tower collapses.

"SESB cannot afford any power interruption within three months, just imagine if we cannot supply power to consumers, it will incur losses to SESB itself, both in terms of money and reputation," he said.

"But with the ERS towers, we can save revenue and our image and continue to supply power to consumers," he added.

Yaakob said they received four ERS towers in 2008, and this year they invested in four more towers to increase SESB's efficiency.

"Since 2010 to date, we have conducted about 16 projects where ERS towers have been erected during emergency cases throughout the State," he said.

On why they chose a US product, he said they picked the product because of its good quality which is proven worldwide, adding that the ERS is also used in Sarawak and in the peninsula as well as other countries.

"Since our transmission line is very limited and high risk, this is the best choice where we can restore power faster when a permanent tower collapses or is damaged," he said.

Meanwhile, Lindsey Manufacturing Company engineer Paul Erickson explained that the ERS towers can be used over and over again.

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"In emergency once they have the tower up, they can restore power and rebuild a permanent tower, after that all they have to do is to just move the conductors to the permanent tower and disassemble the temporary tower and put it back in storage for the next time," he said.

"You can save many days, it is very important for the country because , it costs SESB money when their towers fall, plus there might be factories not operating , so if you can save three or four days with these structures, that's a tremendous advantage because everybody has electricity," he explained.

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