Power lines are dropping along the Labrador-Island Link, and N.L. Hydro can't explain it

Three sections of conductor wire along the trouble-ridden Labrador-Island Link have dropped to the ground since early December, and as crews continue their repair efforts, N.L. Hydro officials say they're still trying to find out what's causing the failures.

But the focus is squarely on a rigging device called a turnbuckle, a piece of adjustable hardware that secures the power line to the larger, four-foundation towers along the transmission line. These so-called "dead-end" towers account for about one of every 20 towers.

During a stretch of freezing rainfalls in December and early January, some of these turnbuckles broke, and now Hydro personnel are scrambling to find out why, and what it might mean for the future of the link.

"We need to determine: are these failures weather-related? Are they component-related? What is the best plan of approach to be able to remedy the situation?" said Walter Parsons, Hydro's vice-president in charge of the Labrador-Island Link.

Details about the latest software and structural setbacks to hit the nearly $4-billion, 1,100-kilometre high-voltage transmission line from the Muskrat Falls generating station in Labrador to the Soldiers Pond terminal outside St. John's are contained in Hydro's monthly update to the public utilities board.

They reveal how challenging repairs can be when failures occur in remote areas, and why N.L Hydro believes it will require a robust backup system when the link, known as the LIL, is eventually commissioned and integrated into the province's power grid.

In early December, a turnbuckle failed on a tower on the Northern Peninsula, near Hampden, and one of the link's two power lines dropped to the ground.

A contractor was hired to clear snow from a 72-kilometre access road, and the repair was completed on Dec. 12, nearly two weeks after the problem was discovered.

In late December and early January, a similar failure was discovered in the same area of the Northern Peninsula, and a third was found in southern Labrador. In all three cases, the power lines were coated with ice.

The turnbuckles are made of forged steel and are designed to withstand heavy loads, including ice buildup. So the broken turnbuckles are being tested in a laboratory, and Hydro has commenced an investigation that will also include outside consultants.

Parsons said it's not uncommon for failures to occur in the early years of operation of a new asset like the LIL, but he's not ruling out the possibility of having to upgrade the link's infrastructure in areas prone to freezing rain events.

"There may be some additional investments in the Labrador-Island Link," he said. "We don't estimate these are going to be massive investments. We're not talking about redesigning the Labrador-Island Link here."

The LIL comprises two power lines — known as Pole 1 and Pole 2 — and is capable of transmitting up to 900 megawatts. If one of the lines fail, the other line is designed to operate in overload mode, and safety stabilize the system.

The link is undergoing regular testing prior to final commissioning and has been routinely transmitting roughly 300 megawatts for use on the island power grid and for export to Nova Scotia via the Maritime Link.