Learnings

Outcomes

Analysis of the data collected during the project has confirmed that by carrying out oil regeneration towards the end of a transformer’s design life it can be extended by approximately ten years.

The project has developed the processes to collect and analyse transformer oil and then provide the outputs in a dashboard/decision/reporting tool which can be used by all relevant internal stakeholders to inform future investment decisions.

The dashboard/decision/reporting tool has been made available and was used as part of our NIA project “Optimising Oil Regeneration for Transformers” which investigated when, during an asset’s life, is the optimal time for oil regeneration.

Building on the lessons learned from the project, ENWL have made improvements to our oil sampling and oil regeneration processes.

All of the transformers which have undergone oil regeneration are still in service and we are continuing to monitor these assets to confirm the life extension.

Lessons Learnt

With projects that generate significant learning that can continually be fed back to further enhance the learning, there is the potential to continually extend the project. With this project ENWL are satisfied that the project has improved the systems developed and more robustly justified the extension of transformer asset lives.

When a project runs for a longer period, project members and the experience they bring will change. The risks to the outcomes of the project need to be carefully managed.