Based in Victoria, the specialist team was established to provide fibre optic services specifically for the power sector, combining communications expertise with the ability to safely operate within live electrical environments including substations, transmission corridors and distribution networks.
Over the past year, the team has grown from four to six specialists, adding new vehicles and equipment while delivering projects across metropolitan Melbourne, regional Victoria and remote transmission environments.
The team has supported major projects for clients including Jemena and AusNet, covering data centres, substations, solar infrastructure and long-distance Optical Ground Wire (OPGW) works. This work has seen the instillation of more than 55 kms of new fibre connections across Victoria.
Zinfra Operations Manager, Power Services Distribution Services, Lucinda Nunn, said the capability was created in response to growing customer demand for more integrated delivery across power and communications infrastructure.
“Fibre networks are a critical part of keeping the electricity network connected and resilient, but the work itself is very different to traditional telecommunications projects,” Nunn said. “Our team understands the realities of working within live power environments, and that allows us to deliver work safely, efficiently and with a strong focus on quality.”
“What’s been really positive over the past 12 months is seeing how well the fibre team has integrated with our broader construction and maintenance crews to provide customers with a more seamless end to end solution.”
The capability complements Zinfra’s existing poles, wires and substation construction services, allowing the business to deliver integrated infrastructure solutions under one provider.
Among the projects completed during the team’s first year was the delivery of approximately 17 km of new ADSS fibre between Sale and the Fulham Solar Farm in regional Victoria for AusNet.
The team also delivered major fibre infrastructure works supporting data centre developments in Melbourne’s north for Jemena, including more than 24 km of combined aerial and underground fibre installation works.
Zinfra Delivery Manager Distribution Services Fibre Optics, Russell Findlay, said the team’s practical experience within live electricity networks had become a key point of difference.
“You need people who understand both the fibre side and the power side of the job, because that’s often what helps avoid bigger issues later in the project,” Findlay said. “We’ve built a flexible and highly capable team that can adapt across everything from metropolitan data centre projects through to remote transmission work in regional areas.”
“There’s also been strong interest from customers who value having another experienced provider in the market that can deliver integrated power and communications solutions.”
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