Underground Power

The State Underground Power Project (SUPP) in conjunction with the Office of Energy, Western Power and the relevant Local Government Area (LGA) involves replacing overhead power lines with underground power cabling to improve residential amenity and security of power supply.
 

Benefits of underground power:

 

Improved Street Appearance

The removal of poles and wires makes areas more desirable to live in. It also reduces tree pruning and the unsightly foliage deformation that occurs to keep trees clear of overhead wires.
 

Improved Property Values

The removal of poles and power lines, plus the improvement to the streetscape, has been shown to increase property values.
 

Improved Street Lighting

Street lighting will be upgraded as part of the project. Upgraded street lighting can help to prevent crime and improve road safety.
 

Improved Security and Reliability of Power Supply

Moving to an underground electricity distribution system can improve the reliability and quality of power supplies. This includes reducing faults and outages caused by storms, trees, wildlife, vandalism and motor vehicle collisions with poles.
 

A Safer Public Environment

The removal of poles and power lines prevents personal safety hazards caused by fallen power lines, pruning near power lines and car accidents involving power poles Underground Power Projects draw on Mainswest’s following core competencies as head contractor:
 
  • Directional drilling and open trenching to lay new underground power cables including cable jointing and testing.
  • Installation of transformers and switchgear units to manage the distribution of power throughout the area.
  • Integration into the supply authority network.
  • Installation of a new street light system.
  • Coordination of planned outages through complex switching programs
  • Consumer Mains connections and changeovers
  • Existing overhead network isolation, demolition and removal
  • Jointing, Terminating, Testing and Commissioning included handover to Western Power
  • Project and client management
  • Property re-instatement and landscaping
  • Traffic Management and Nightworks

Successfully completed and delivered Underground Power Projects on time and within budget:

Aug 2020 – Aug 2021
SUPPs Project – Shelley West
(Project Case Study)
 
Feb 2020 – Apr 2021
SUPPs Project – Trigg
(Project Case Study)
Feb 2019 – Feb 2020
SUPPs Project – Menora
(Project Case Study)
Upcoming and recently awarded Underground Power Projects:
Estimated August 2021 – Nov 2022
NRUPP Project – Scarborough
(Project Overview)
 
Estimated August 2022 – Dec 2023
SUPP Project – South Perth and Hurlingham
(Project Overview)