SA Power Networks has used state-of-the-art technology to inform, manage and accelerate its response to the River Murray flood event.

The electricity distributor partnered with leading infrastructure software platform Neara to assess network damage and risk through digital flood impact modelling.

It’s the first time the electricity distributor has used LiDAR-related technology when responding to an extreme weather-related event. LiDAR is a technology that uses laser beams to measure distances and create 3D maps of the Earth’s surface or objects. The data collected can then be used to create sophisticated modelling.

With Neara’s AI-powered modelling capabilities, SA Power Networks completed a report in fifteen minutes analysing 21,000 powerline spans within the 341GL/day flood area. This process would have taken many months to complete through manual business systems and resources.

Neara’s 3D modelling allowed SA Power Networks to model impacts on electricity distribution network assets at various flood levels, predicting where and when powerlines may breach clearances or be inundated requiring electricity disconnection. As river levels have returned to normal, the modelling has been used to assist in planning the reconnection of supply along the river.

“These digital insights allowed SA Power Networks to optimise our response and remediation efforts to restore power to impacted areas faster than using more traditional methods,” SA Power Networks strategic initiative manager Paul Topping says.

“This innovative approach, based on digital insights, allowed for the re-energisation of power lines within five days compared with the originally anticipated three-week time frame.”

He says that the data was also an essential part in ensuring the safety of the community and its people through the flood event.

“We are particularly proud of the fact that despite the very real risks associated with hundreds of kilometres of powerline and electricity infrastructure standing in floodwaters, we did not have one report of electric shock throughout the extended flood period.”

Neara chief commercial officer, Jack Curtis, says that the flood modelling work with SA Power Networks continues to validate the platform as the global innovator for network resiliency in the face of extreme weather events: “We are proud of the impact that our technology has on both our network customers, but also the communities that rely on them for safe and reliable power delivery. We look forward to further supporting SA Power Networks’ efforts to keep communities connected.”