This new technology will help maximise the capacity of existing transmission infrastructure to absorb more renewable electricity and minimise the need to build new transmission.
The new technology, which a drone can install on transmission lines, uses sensors to deliver real-time information about environmental factors affecting line capacities, such as wind and high temperatures. New state-of-the-art sensor technology that enables safer operation of electricity transmission lines and greater penetration of renewables will receive funding from the Australian Government.
As Australia transforms into a renewable economy, the Albanese Government invests in new technologies to help us get there. The capacity data will enable transmission lines to dispatch more electricity from cheaper sources like renewables safely. The new system supports other emerging technologies, such as virtual powerlines, deployed in Australia and can help reduce network risks in real time during bushfires.
The government’s support for the $1.8 million project will help the start-up work with Transgrid to trial the next-generation system on transmission lines in Western Sydney. , Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Jenny McAllister, said the technology could help ramp up the renewable generation and deliver cheaper energy.
Infravision is an Australian start-up specialising in high-tech solutions to reduce the risk and cost of installing and maintaining electricity cables. By 2030 we expect to generate 82% of Australia’s electricity from renewables, the cheapest form of energy, by the end of this decade”, Assistant Minister McAlister said. We are ensuring ARENA is focused on supporting renewables and related technologies to boost renewable generation”, Assistant Minister McAllister said.
This information can be used to measure transmission capacity more accurately than traditional methods. This funding demonstrates we are putting renewables back into ARENA.
The Australian Government will provide more than $732,000 to Infravision Pty Ltd to help develop and trial. “This reduces system costs for the network and puts downward pressure on prices for households and businesses.”
Announcing the funding in Sydney today, it’s Next Generation Line Monitoring System through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
Written by: Jill Walsh
