Connecting Australia's recently developed renewable energy sites to the grid poses numerous challenges. When it comes to power stringing programs, the three major hurdles include:
- Establishing secure and safe access across challenging terrains.
- Minimising the impact on environmentally sensitive areas and the agricultural fields of landowners.
- Safeguarding cultural heritage artifacts.
In Dulacca, ensuring the construction of safe and stable work platform pads and access tracks around the power substation was crucial. Initially considering rock as an option, the team ultimately found that composite matting offered ideal benefits for the project.
The use of composite mats proved advantageous, allowing for quicker installation, a softer impact on stakeholders' fields, and minimal remediation requirements upon project completion. This not only saved time but also resulted in cost savings.
The project involved the deployment of 1.4 km of temporary access connecting three large powerline stringing work platforms. The efficient team received and installed 13 trailer loads of mats within a week, enabling them to complete the job well within the allocated power outage window.
Click here to read the full case study of the benefits of bog mats on powerline string projects.