JPS targets improvement of 7700 poles this year to strengthen grid

The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) says it has set a target of 7700 poles to be rehabilitated or replaced this year, after its team successfully carried out a massive pole renewal effort, replacing and rehabilitating over 9000 poles across the island last year.

A total of 5597 poles were rehabilitated and another 4103 replaced over the period.

Noting the possible increased activity of the hurricane season, JPS said that parish and transmission teams redoubled their efforts, with greater priority placed on reliability and structural integrity initiatives. 

According to JPS, overall asset management and preventative maintenance initiatives are top priorities in the company's service reliability pursuits, as initiatives like those directly translate to an improved experience for the customer.

The lifespan of a utility pole is 25 years on average.

While this average is used as a general benchmark, JPS says that poles are continually assessed as different variables impact the lifespan of a pole.

Some poles which exhibit moderate degradation upon assessment, can be rehabilitated rather than replaced, thus extending their lifespan up to another 15 years.

Environmental factors may accelerate pole degradation, as well as third party incidents such as physical impacts from motor vehicle accidents.

JPS noted that while Jamaica did not experience the direct impact of a hurricane in the 2020 season, significant flooding, land slippage, and damage to the land was observed across the island, which also impacted sections of the electrical grid.

The company says its future planning at this stage, takes into consideration the likelihood of increasingly active hurricane seasons within the context of climate change.

Additional grid modernisation initiatives and engineering projects are also being prioritised to further improve the network.

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