Optus set to utilise 5G in energy sector

Optus will collaborate with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and AWS partner Unleash live, to create a 5G solution for Australian electricity provider Endeavour Energy to improve the speed, efficiency and safety of real-time fault inspections of its electricity grid.

Endeavour Energy’s electricity distribution network spans 47,000 km of power lines, 500,000 power poles and 32,000 substations across Sydney’s Greater West, the Blue Mountains, the Southern Highlands, the Illawarra and the South Coast of New South Wales. On-site inspections are currently conducted by Endeavour Energy’s team of engineers, utilising a large fleet of vehicles, helicopters and a team of technicians to physically identify and carry out remediation.

The collaboration will leverage a combination of 5G, cloud, artificial intelligence (AI), drone technology and ultra-high definition (UHD) cameras to monitor in real time the physical state of infrastructure assets on the electricity grid. The solution is designed to keep the electrical supply safe and reliable by identifying where preventative maintenance is needed to improve network safety and avoid costly and unplanned power outages.

The $648,000 project will commence in September 2021 and is being funded by the Australian Government’s latest 5G innovation initiative. The initial trial period will monitor Endeavour Energy’s infrastructure assets across Penrith and Blacktown in New South Wales.

The solution is set to accelerate network remediation and improve worker safety by remotely alerting Endeavour Energy to faults or damaged equipment on the electricity network that could be difficult for humans to manually identify. Examples of the faults that will be identified include rust damage, missing components, erosion of insulation and cracks in the metal structure.

Visual insights generated from Unleash live’s platform will notify Endeavour Energy if remediation services need to be administered or equipment needs to be replaced without requiring engineers to undertake on-site inspections.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/aerogondo