High-tension faults reduced by 92%

Over the past 25 years, the number of faults occurring in the high-voltage grid has declined by 92%. In 1989, 197 faults were recorded. In 2013, the number of faults had fallen to 18 and in 2014 to 16. It should be noted that not all of these faults led to total blackouts, but nevertheless each fault in the high-voltage grid proves inconvenient for one or more of our customers.

After the Christmas hurricane of 1988, a strategic plan was implemented by SEV to strengthen the Faroese electric system by which high-tension grid cables were placed underground and the aerial, high-tension grid dismantled in an effort to avoid further disruptions because of severe weather.

SEV is determined to continually reduce the number of blackouts and faults in the high-tension grid. SEV envisions a „zero-tolerance“ future – meaning that these types of faults will be reduced to zero.

Over the last several years, SEV continually developed its control systems and has instituted daily inspections of its production and the grid. Moreover, all buildings, individual production units and the grid infrastructure are continually inspected, maintained and updated, such that SEV is always prepared to meet demand. In an ongoing effort to strengthen the Faroese electric system, there is considerable expansion, renovation and updating taking place.

One aspect of this effort is ensuring that there are always several electricity supply lines to any specific area, thereby enabling swifter redistribution within the system when a fault occurs. In this way, the provision of power is more quickly adjusted and maintained without unduly impacting SEV’s customers. At the same time, in the years ahead more and more electric energy will be supplied into the grid from renewable energy resources, because the plan is that by 2030 all electric power will be derived from hydropower wind and current energy.