The Northern Regional Electricity Distributor (Nored) has announced that it has started to implement a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system in the Kavango East Region in order to minimize power disruptions.
This announcement was made by Nored’s Executive of Technical Services, Petnen Frans, during a recent community meeting held in the Nidiyona Constituency.
Frans said the SCADA system was acquired by the electricity distributor at a cost of N$35 million, noting that as a distribution authority, they need to provide power that meets customers’ needs by ensuring distribution infrastructure, including substations and transformers, is efficiently managed, operated, and maintained.
"The SCADA system will be a cost-effective solution to minimize power disruptions and will provide greater visibility and improved control of the distribution network. We expect to fully install and implement this system by the end of this year. What is important is that we have started by setting up a SCADA control center, and we have already employed a few people," Frans said.
He said power distribution networks are exposed to many risks and are susceptible to a variety of interruptions, from weather events to equipment failure and human error, hence the need to have strategies in place to ensure the effects of any disruptions are minimized to ensure the safety and reliability of supply.
Frans explained that, in the event of a power outage, the SCADA system is able to detect the exact location of the fault. It then immediately alerts the operators via an alarm, and the operators can implement an action plan based on the severity of the alarm to prevent further disruption.
"The SCADA system reacts in real-time, so the mitigation strategies usually occur very fast and typically prior to any downstream customers being made aware of potential power supply issues. SCADA has proven to be a success in other countries that we visited, such as Botswana," the technical executive said.
Meanwhile, last November alone, power outages were experienced in the area 16 times, translating into over 190 hours. The area also experiences frequent power failures during the rainy season (January to March).
Nored supplies electricity to eight regions in the country.