Sustainability of overhead line conductors and fittings – Conductor condition assessment and life extension Volume 1: State of the art

Many overhead lines (OHL) throughout the world are nearing or have gone beyond their expected life. Since the conductors (including their installation) represent approximately 40% of the cost of the line, their condition is predominant in the decision to replace the line or extend its life after evaluating if they are degraded. The challenge is to prolong the residual life of the conductors without affecting the line reliability beyond what is acceptable to the Transmission System Operator (TSO) or the Distribution System Operator (DSO). The interaction between conductors and fittings must also be considered since they are part of the same system. Information is given for fittings in regard to sustainability of the conductor only.