Crews have powered up the first part of the new Top Ryde zone substation which is now supplying electricity to more than 3,500 homes and businesses in the Northern suburbs region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. About 150 workers including substation technicians, engineers and cable jointers spent about 18 months carrying out major work.

Once complete, the new Ausgrid substation will power more than 10,000 homes and business in Ryde, North Ryde, Gladesville and Tennyson Point. The new two-storey architect-designed substation replaces the existing North Ryde zone substation that was built in 1965.

Ausgrid General Manager Transmission Trevor Armstrong said the new zone substation was a modern building that met strict environmental and safety standards. “The Ryde area is growing rapidly on the back of new commercial and residential developments like the Top Ryde shopping center,” Armstrong said. “Peak demand for power in the area is growing at about three per cent a year driven by these developments and the increased use of electrical equipment like air conditioners and computers.

“This new substation will not only power the local community of today but help to meet the area’s future electricity needs. “Our engineers and architects have taken every step to design and build a substation that balances the need to meet increasing peak demand with the change of the local neighborhood.

“We realize construction work on a project of this scale can impact the local neighborhood and we’ve worked hard to keep local residents and businesses updated.”

The 132/11-kV Top Ryde zone substation houses two 50-MVA transformers, two 11-kV earthing transformers, a 132-kV GIS busbar rated at 1600 A with associated 132-kV gas insulated switchgear and 11-kV vacuum switchgear. Ausgrid crews also installed new sections of 132-kV and 11-kV underground cables between the new substation and the existing electricity network as part of the $30 million project.

Completion of the Top Ryde zone substation will allow Ausgrid to retire the existing 66/11-kV North Ryde substation. The Top Ryde zone substation project is part of Ausgrid’s $207 million investment in Sydney’s northern district region between 2009 and 2014.