FEWA to replace UAQ aerial power cables with earth lines

The aerial power cables are 36-years-old

Residents here may now breathe a sigh of relief after the dilemma with aerial power cables, which are mostly cut during unstable weather and pose a grave risk to people' life, seem to come to an end soon.
The Federal Electricity and Water Authority, locally known as FEWA, has started replacing the 36-year-old aerial power cables with earth lines here in the emirate of Umm Al Quwain.
All the 33KV metal power posts and cables, installed in 1981 along the Ittihad road, are being removed, according to Mohammed Saleh, Director General of the Authority.
"New earth power cables are being fitted deep down the earth along the 18km long arterial road, starting from the Salma power station to the Raafa substation in the direction of the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah."
As a start, the Federal Electricity and Water Authority technicians had entirely disconnected the electricity from the old metal cables on February 03 this year, he added. "All the power poles and cables shall be completely removed soon."
The new 33KV power cables, already in service, have been connected to the Umm Al Thaub power station to supply the power needed to the Raafa substation instead of the old power posts, Saleh explained.
"The current aerial power line poses no risk at all as the electricity has been disconnected for over one month, and the cables are no longer in service."
Earlier, some Emirati nationals voiced their concerns after some power posts had collapsed to the ground the electricity cables were torn out at the Umm Al Thaub area because of the unstable weather.
The 270MVA Umm Al Thaub power station, worth Dh 130 million, supplies electricity to a number of substations in Ras Al Khaimah, let alone the current and future industrial needs of the emirate of Umm Al Quwain until 2021, he stated.
"The major 11/33/132 KV power station, opened by the end of 2015, consists of main parts, the most important of which is the 132KV electric switches room which comprises nine 132KV feeders, and three electric switches for connecting the power transmitters."
"Some of the posts, which have not collapsed yet, were pushed closer to each other by the strong winds, posing a grave risk to people's life," said Abdullah Saeed, an Emirati national of Umm Al Thaub area.
"We have reported the issue to the bodies concerned, and FEWA has immediately dispatched its staff technicians who disconnected the power from the old posts and cables, and started removing and replacing them with new ones," said Mustafa Salem, an Emirati of Al Thaub area.

• Umm Al Quwain