ECSL upgrades 69 kV transmission lines in Texas
ECSL, a joint venture of EC Source and Sargent & Lundy, is rebuilding 45 km (28 mi) of wooden structures on the 69 kV transmission line.
Image source: T&D World
USA, Texas: ECSL, a joint venture of EC Source and Sargent & Lundy, is rebuilding 45 km (28 mi) of wooden structures on the 69 kV transmission line.
The works on the line near Menard, Texas will help improve reliability. The rebuilt 69 kV line will accommodate a 138 kV energized line if customers require more capacity. The Yellowjacket-Junction project is the third in a series of three transmission lines ECSL has undertaken in Texas for AEP.
The project includes the replacement of 10 km of a distribution circuit, which is supported by a subset of the newly constructed transmission structures. The distribution circuit remained in service during construction from 20 September 2020, through 15 December 2020, with no power interruptions to the connected customers. ECSL completed the energized line work using glove and sleeve techniques for handling and working near live electrical lines.
“The project involves a significant amount of rock drilling, which also means using pressure diggers,” said Eddie Moore, director of Operations, T&D, for EC Source. “We have our environmental crews on hand because they are positioning and relocating mats and reconditioning the rights of way as we work the job.”
To keep the project on schedule while traversing challenging terrain, the company is deploying a combination of pilot drilling crews who break ground followed by excavation crews. The tag-team approach has allowed ECSL to stay on its timetable, even when crews have encountered challenges. The goal of the project is to reduce the likelihood, frequency and duration of outages in the area along with supporting potential economic development.
“EC Source brings crews with the right skills and a collaborative mindset for managing a construction project with Sargent & Lundy’s engineers who designed the line,” adds ECSL project manager Cade Womack. “Those qualities help keep a project like this on schedule and on budget.”
Source: T&D World