An FCCS (Full Covered Conductor Solution) overhead line was installed in Tornio’s Liakka district in northern Finland using Ensto’s new composite line post insulators. The power grid company Tornionlaakson Sähkö Oy identified the benefits offered by Ensto’s solution and decided to go ahead with the project. The contractor in the project was Lapin Verkonrakennus Oy.
Tornionlaakson Sähkö Oy had a new overhead line built in Tornio’s Liakka district during the fall of 2019. The line was built in a pilot project based on Ensto’s Full Covered Conductor Solution using new, extremely durable SDI82.2M20 composite line post insulators. The site in Tornio was the first extensive installation in Finland with these new composite line post insulators. Using covered conductors is increasing in popularity, and the new composite insulators have attracted wide interest. The power grid company, Tornionlaakson Sähkö Oy, identified the benefits offered by the solution and decided to go ahead with the project. The project aims to provide a solution with economical life cycle costs and to improve the reliability of the line, says Ensto’s sales manager for northern Finland, Antti Leinonen, who is in charge of managing the pilot project.
The contractor in the project, Lapin Verkonrakennus Oy, offers comprehensive power grid construction services. Jyri Kauvosaari, who was in charge of supervising the work, says the project consisted of aspects including planning and construction, among other things. “The pilot project started with land contracts, and it involved clearing the terrain, marking out the line’s route on the ground, distributing goods, erecting poles, and fastening the covered conductors to the insulators. We were already familiar with Ensto’s products and mainly use them when building networks,” says Kauvosaari.
Choosing a Full Covered Conductor Solution with Ensto accessories is guaranteed to pay for itself in the form of fewer faults, lower maintenance costs, and higher-quality electricity. Ensto’s accessories to the FCCS lines are electrically and mechanically designed for the best performance and safety. Accessories for medium voltage FCCS lines include insulators, tension and suspension clamps, arc protection devices, current limiters, connectors, bird protectors and crossarms.
The new composite line post insulator SDI82.2M20 is a part of the redesigned FCCS and the related range of products. The design of the SDI82.2M20 composite line post insulator aimed to facilitate and speed up installation. The insulator has a unique, extremely carefully designed neck structure. The conductor is easy to install through the insulator neck made of electrically insulating plastic. This reduces both the work phases required at the work site and the number of tools needed for installation. Ensto’s Full Covered Conductor Solution offers better protection for lines with, for instance, additional protection against birds and tree branches. The solution pays back fast with lower maintenance costs and increased reliability of the power network.
“The benefit with composite is that it is durable and lightweight, which makes it easy to install and carry around the site. The advantage with these new insulators is that they have a built-in neck and the conductor remains firmly in place when the pole is erected. Helical ties are not needed, and the conductor is fastened to the tip of the insulator with only a wing nut. Using this type of insulator results in much higher tensile strength, and a crossbar structure enables deeper angles without the need to build heavy and expensive angle structures,” says Kauvosaari.
The FCCS handbook created by Ensto’s experts describes the redesigned FCCS models and related products. It provides a handy tool for designing networks. Download the handbook
Client: Tornionlaakson Sähkö Oy
Contractor: Lapin Verkonrakennus Oy
Ensto: The Full Covered Conductor Solution (FCCS)