Unison’s Smart Grid Attracts Visitors from Bhutan Power Corp

Unison’s Smart Grid Attracts Visitors from Bhutan Power Corporation

Friday 12 July 2013 – Electricity Distributor Unison Networks has this week hosted delegates from the Bhutan Power Corporation (BPC) as part of a tour to learn about electricity distribution in New Zealand.

BPC chose to visit New Zealand due to the country’s similar terrain and network densities, and New Zealand’s reputation as a leader in innovation. Unison was recommended to BPC by international consultants because of the Company’s commitment to innovation and industry leadership in asset management.

The delegates were very impressed by the leading-edge technology Unison is deploying as part of its Smart Grid, and were particularly interested in the decision support tools used by the Company to assist in allocating resources between competing projects.

“The Bhutan government has laid down a challenge for BPC, who are the only electricity distributor in Bhutan, to have electricity to the entire country by the end of 2013,” said Unison Group Chief Executive Ken Sutherland.

“This poses a significant challenge, with limited resources and a substantial amount of work ahead to achieve this goal. During this visit they hope to learn about new technologies and better asset management practises that may assist them.”

Currently, extending the Bhutan network to remote mountain villages often involves crews of BPC linemen walking for up to a week through remote rainforest and mountains, carrying poles on their backs, and using cows or horses to drag transformers and conductors.

While in many ways Bhutan is behind New Zealand technologically, making the task ahead seem daunting, the country’s uptake of new technology is growing rapidly. It was only ten years ago the Bhutanese people first enjoyed a television network, and they now have a nation-wide fibre optic grid.

Unison has committed to a continuing relationship with BPC, to help the network company achieve its vision through the sharing of knowledge.

The delegates’ tour of New Zealand also includes visits with other electricity distribution companies Northpower and Orion.

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