Northern Ireland Electricity

Northern Ireland Electricity’s (NIE) Transmission and Distribution (T&D) arm comprises the planning, development, construction, operation and maintenance of the transmission and distribution network which is used to convey electricity from generating stations in Northern Ireland to customers' premises.

The T&D business derives its revenue principally through use of system charges levied on suppliers. The T&D network comprises a number of interconnected networks of overhead lines and underground cables, which are used for the transfer of electricity to customers via a number of substations. The electric network supplies customers via a network of 45,000km (28,000 miles) of which 32,000km (20,000 miles) are overhead. There are currently over 790,000 customers connected to the distribution system.

Customer Operations

Customer Operations is the largest group within NIE and is committed to providing the highest quality service to all of our customers.

Our services include connecting new domestic and commercial/industrial customers to the electricity network and providing new and increased electricity supplies and alterations to existing NIE equipment. We have responsibility for the entire connections process including design, planning consents, quotation and construction to all NIE Customers throughout Northern Ireland. We also provide the day to day operation support and management of the electricity network. Our staff deal with a varied range of customer related queries and ensure that our electricity network is operating to the highest standards of performance and safety whilst ensuring minimal disruption to customers.

Our skilled and experienced engineering staff respond to and repair network faults on a 24 hour, 365 day per year basis. At times of extreme weather NIE Customer Operations staff are fully equipped to deal with all emergencies.

Plant & Technical

Our Plant & Technical section provides substation construction and maintenance services. Our core functions include the delivery of new and refurbished substation build (from 11kV up to 275kV) and substation plant maintenance (HV switchgear, transformers and ancillary plant). Around 140 industrial, clerical and engineering staff provide a range of skills and disciplines to facilitate this work. These include Technical Design, Construction Design, Project Management, Network Operation and Programme Delivery.

In addition, ancillary functions such as Asset Management, Technical Specifications, Technical Investigation and Workshop facilities ensure that we can deliver end-to-end management of substation assets. This includes determining best practice in substation design and maintenance and on-going evaluation and implementation of innovative maintenance solutions. Ultimately our expertise ensures that substations on the NIE network are constructed, maintained and operated in a cost-effective and reliable manner throughout their lifetime.

Distribution Service Centre

Our Distribution Service Centre is located in Craigavon and its primary functions are to manage performance and access to the distribution network and our relationships with customers supplied from this network.

Our Service Centre consists of six main departments who all work closely together to ensure high quality customer service. These include: The Distribution Control Centre, Dispatch Operations, Call handling which includes fault calls along with new connections and alterations, TORT and 3rd Party Damage Administration, Customer Contact and Complaint Handling and Customer notification of programmed outages and the updating of customer records. During system emergencies our Service and incident centres combine and their functions are dedicated to fault call handling and Distribution Control.

Lines and Cables

Our Lines and Cables section has a key role within NIE, primarily delivering the capital replacement programme for overhead lines. Lines and Cables has responsibility for design, construction, maintenance and repair of the 45,000km of NIE's Transmission and Distribution overhead lines and underground cables networks, including vegetation management. We deliver this work to consistently high standards of Quality and Safety with minimum disruption to customers.

Areas of responsibility include:

• Overhead line system refurbishment and maintenance on all networks ranging in voltage from 275kV, 110kV, 33kV, 11kV to Low Voltage.
• Overhead Line Design, Survey, Project Management and Construction.
• Live Line 'Hot Glove' Working for Customer Connections and Maintenance activities on the 11kV network.
• Management and clearance of Trees and Vegetation in proximity to NIE overhead power lines from 275kV to LV.
• Design and Project management for installation and jointing of underground Transmission and Distribution cable systems. This is primarily on the 33kV – 275kV systems.