Cowell Electric were engaged by Consolidated Power Projects to construct the 6.8km 275kV overhead power line between the Lincoln Gap Windfarm substation and the ElectraNet 275kV Corraberra Hills switching substation.

This project was located 20km South west of Port Augusta and required;

• 6.8km of single circuit 275kV and OPGW powerline using single sulfur conductor per phase and one overhead OPGW circuit on 27m-30m steel slip jointed tubular poles.

• Installation of landing spans between the line terminal structure adjacent to both substations and the substation gantry’s.

These works were completed in January 2019 and whilst the power line length route itself was quite straightforward and short we had to overcome the following complexities;

• A portion of the line route ran straight up the side of the Lincoln Gap hill range

• Crossing of National Highway 1

• Crossing of Railway line from Port Augusta to Whyalla

• Crossing of major water pipe from Port Augusta to Whyalla

• Crossing of an existing 19.1kV live SWER line

All these obstacles were navigated by the use of Leading Edge Helicopters to pull the draw wire into the powerline with minimal interruption. Should we be successful in our bid for the Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park this would be the construction methodology we would adopt.