30 May 2014, Macau

In order to actively prepare for the arrival of power consumption peak period in summer, CEM and Guangdong Power Grid Corporation Zhuhai Power Supply Bureau held the grid anti-incident drill again on 20 May following the first run last month. The objective is to improve the responsiveness of both parties’ operation and maintenance personnel in dealing with the power grid incidents in order to ensure reliable supply of electricity.

This drill co-organized by CEM and Zhuhai Power Supply Bureau was mainly targeted for the emergency repair of 220kV networking cables. In the afternoon, both parties jointly performed a simulation drill in which the part of the 220kV Qinyun-Lotus cable in Macau suddenly broke down. Both parties had dispatched crew to the substation and the fault spot to perform simulated repair in accordance with the networking cable fault repair contingency plan. Unlike previous drills, this time, both parties sent their technicians to each other’s site for coordination and operation so that they could speedily identify the faults and carry out troubleshooting without delay to bring the power grid back to normal.

The security of grid operation in Macau has been significantly improved since the 220kV Lotus Substation was put into operation in 2012. However, the 220kV circuit is exposed to power supply interruption risk of internal malfunction and external force damages as there are construction projects undergoing along the 220kV link circuit. Therefore, the annual drill is designed to be prepared to tackle these potential risks, with a view to strengthening the two parties’ familiarity with the emergency planning and operation, enhancing the resilience of handling such accidents and playing a positive role in promoting the safety and reliability of power supply to Macau.