Atturra launches Powerlink network incident system

Atturra has implemented a new Network Incident Management System at Powerlink Queensland as part of Powerlink's Next Generation Network Operations program.

The project replaces legacy systems and databases that had been in place for two decades. It brings incident, hazard and risk information into a single environment and integrates with Powerlink's SAP asset management platform.

Powerlink operates a high-voltage electricity transmission network that supplies more than five million Queenslanders and 241,000 businesses. Its infrastructure stretches 1,700 kilometres from Cairns to New South Wales and includes 15,449 circuit kilometres of transmission lines and 152 substations.

The new system was built on SafetySuite for SAP and extended with custom SAP applications. It also uses SAP Fiori Launchpad, SAP BTP, OData services and Esri ArcGIS integration to support network incident, risk and hazard management for field and control room staff.

According to the companies, the system gives users real-time visibility across operational information and streamlines communication around incident management activities. The design includes a Smart Search tool, an unplanned outage application for root cause traceability, automated notification workflows and spatial data mapping through ArcGIS.

For Powerlink, the change marks a shift from older operational tools to a more centralised approach to safety and risk management. The system is intended to improve visibility, traceability and decision-making across network operations.

Ed Sellwood, General Manager, Real Time Network Operations, Powerlink, described the project's operational aim.

"Introducing a solution like NIMS enables us to communicate incident management activities more efficiently across all the people who play important roles in keeping our network and assets safe, secure and reliable," said Sellwood.

The implementation sits within Powerlink's broader Next Generation Network Operations program, which focuses on updating core operational systems. Atturra designed and built a hybrid model with Powerlink and has now commissioned the system.

Operational shift

The work also reflects increasing pressure on electricity network operators to improve oversight of asset risks and incident responses as grids become more complex. Transmission businesses face demands to maintain reliability while adapting their networks to changing generation sources and operating conditions.

Darren Coleman, Network Incident Management Team Lead, Powerlink, said the project had created a basis for more consistent risk management.

"Successfully implementing NIMS marks a significant milestone in our risk management journey," said Coleman. "It has established a strong foundation for consistent, transparent and data-driven decision-making, while positioning us to continuously improve how we identify, assess and manage risk into the future."

Atturra said the project was among the largest and most technically complex it has delivered. Under an ongoing arrangement, the company will continue to support and enhance the system until 2030 and beyond.

Alastair Brooke, General Manager, Safety Solutions, Atturra, said the project represented a major delivery for the business.

"The Powerlink IMS has been one of the largest, most technically complex projects ever delivered by Atturra, and we are delighted to have collaborated successfully with the company to launch the first in a new generation of network incident operating systems in Australia's electricity sector.

"We partnered with Powerlink to reimagine its business, ensuring its next-generation IMS would be future-fit to meet the organisation's reliability goals as the network transitions to a greater mix of renewables and faces increased volatility and fragility. Modernising operational technology and developing new ways of working is never easy, but with the right people, the right solution and the right approach, we were always confident of the outcome," said Brooke.

The system has now been commissioned and will remain under Atturra's support and enhancement management for the rest of the decade and beyond.