Satcoms help Welsh renewables electricity provider stay connected
International satellite communications provider NSSL is helping Welsh electricity company E.ON keep in touch with its remote facilities. While the E.ON power plant is located in Aberystwyth, the hydro-electric plant and wind farms which generate the power are located in areas with no GSM coverage. As a result E.ON maintenance staff are making use of three Iridium handheld satellite phones so they can ‘hop’ from job-to-job and call in support if they got lost or have a medical emergency. This development challenges the perception that satcoms are only used commercially in economically underdeveloped regions like Africa.NSSL advised E.ON to use the Iridium’s for the maintenance of both their wind farms and hydro electric plant. Specifically:
- Wind Farm: E.ON has two wind farms located in Rheidol (12 miles away from the power plant) and Cefn Croes (96 miles away). Both wind farms are in extremely isolated regions with no GSM coverage
- Hydro-electric plant: The actual hydro-electric plant only covers a small geographically space. However, the water catchment area tributaries and aquaducts which lead into the main reservoir, and any remote monitoring equipment, cover some 160sq Km. It is essential that these remain unblocked so E.ON has a mobile team of 10 maintenance staff who patrol this area and use the Iridium’s to remain in contact with the main station control room
E.ON purchased three Iridium 9505A satellite phones, which cost £750 per unit. The Plant Manager at E.ON explains why they decided to purchase the sat-phones: “The Iridium’s are truly fantastic. They are small, light, and extremely rugged making them perfect for the inhospitable Welsh countryside.” He went on say, “The phones basically serve two functions. First, they ensure we can keep in contact with our maintenance staff wherever they are, which is very important from a safety point of view. Second, the phones have allowed our staff to ‘call in’ at the beginning and end of a job meaning we can maintain a log of staff locations, and direct them to other jobs without them having to return to base. Obviously, this is a much more time and environmentally friendly approach.”
Danielle Edwards, Product Marketing Manager at NSSL commented: “E.ON’s use satellite phones really challenges the misconception that satcoms are only used in Africa, Asia and places like Antarctica. The reality is that 70% of the earth’s surface is without GSM and that there are big coverage gaps in major industrialised nations like the UK and USA; gaps which can be served by satellite solutions like those provided by NSSL.”
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