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PROTECTION, MONITORING & CONTROL is a "lot of redundancy" built into the British grid, which has absorbed many of the changes in recent years. "It doesn't mean that there won't be any investment going forward in the UK, but it's not as critical as it is in the third world," Menzies tells Network. "In Kuwait, they design their transformers to an ambient tem - perature of 58 degrees centigrade, so it's not unsurprising that they have a relatively high number of transformers blow up because the mineral oil, which they use to cool the transformers, gets too close to the fire point." He adds that hot temperatures in other parts of the world will mean that transformers will age more quickly in those environ - ments, whereas a cold transformer will be "inherently more healthy". "One of the main reasons for transformers failing is a failure in the insulation system. Esters help to preserve the life of the solid paper insulation in transformers, which further reduces the likeli - hood of asset failure," he explains. He adds switching over to ester fluids in a transformer insulation system can prevent fire damage and increase the performance of the transformer. "If the transformer has got an insulation system that has deteriorated, then it's more likely to fail and in the worst case explode." The growing number of smart so‰ware and hardware solutions does beg an obvious question. As the grid becomes smarter, can power cuts ever be eradicated entirely? Could power cuts one day be a thing of the past? Electricity North West's Mercer says it's a "nice idea, but in reality very difficult to achieve". "There's a higher cost involved and we are very conscious of our customers' ability and willingness to pay," he adds. "We are continu - ally improving the reliability of the network using innovation in hard- ware and so‰ware solutions, which provide the most cost-effective approach." While Professor Jarman adds that the recent events in South America show that "we are very reliant as a society on electrical power". "Mobile phones and computers might now have their own batter - ies, but much of the infrastructure, from communications to transport and water has li‰ed zero capa- bility to operate if the grid goes down," he explains. "This means that electrical power has orders of magnitude of greater value than its cost. Whilst there is an economic balance to be struck, keeping power cuts to the historically low levels experienced in the UK has to remain a priority objective, one that can be reached if we continue to validate and utilise available technologies." NETWORK / 23 / JULY/AUGUST 2019 Jonathan Hopkins, EMEA sales director at S&C Electric Company, discusses the importance of replacing ageing assets. A large proportion of utility electricity-distribution assets were built between the 1950s and 1970s, and they are reaching the end of their design life. Assets may not fail because of age alone, but exposure to severe weather and general wear and tear will affect their condition and performance over time. As such, asset replacement is a key activity as electricity distribution companies work to sustain and improve their networks' performance. This is especially important when customers' expectations for power reliability are higher than ever and decarbonisation places greater requirements on the networks. Space is at a premium, however, especially for typical 66-kV and 132-kV substations. Moving transformers, cables, structures, and other equipment to accommodate replacement of isolators and disconnects is typically not an option, given the costs. However, relying on assets that have deteriorated is not the answer either. Ageing isolators and disconnects will have general contact wear and insulation that has degraded. This can mean reduced performance ratings and an increased risk within Ofgem's asset-health framework. Legacy isolators and disconnectors require considerable coordination between the control room and site personnel to ensure they are operated safely. Solutions such as S&C's Series 2000 Circuit-Switchers are ideal for replacing ageing isolators and disconnects. They provide an upgrade to the existing network and a cost- effective means to integrate additional distributed energy resources. Their compact design suits substations and are ENA assessed. They provide additional protection, a point of isolation, safer operation, and reduced maintenance costs. For further information visit www.sandc.com or email jonathan.hopkins@sandc.com I N D U S T RY I N S I G H T Using asset replacement to improve power reliability