In January 2018 AECOM was appointed to AusNet Services’ Regulated Energy Services panel for a period of five years. Although the panel is focused on engineering and design services for AusNet Services’s regulated transmission and distribution assets, the collaborative contracting model promotes a deeper relationship around shared goals such as zero injuries, driving efficiency across the whole project lifecycle, project value creation and increasing diversity and inclusion.
AECOM is committed to tackling the industry wide gender pay gap and will be supporting AusNet Services with its own diversity and inclusion goals.
According to AECOM’s Victoria and South Australia’s Power and Industrial leader, Mark Lampard; “It is through long term panel contracts like the one with AusNet Services that we are in the best position to deliver technical excellence that drives long term benefits for the client. It is exciting to be in a genuine partnership where both organisations agree on shared goals such as safety, innovation and diversity.”
Six months since the panel contract was signed there are already several significant projects underway, including bushfire mitigation work. This project will see a number of substations in high risk locations fitted with Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiters, helping to reduce fire risk on Victoria’s rural distribution network. [before video https://youtu.be/GSrR2RC8Ykk and after REFCL https://youtu.be/hOnp0vKrFbg ]
Similar to a safety switch, the REFCL significantly limits the amount of energy released when an earth fault occurs such as a tree falling against a powerline or a car colliding with a power pole.
The panel agreement with AusNet Services has provided a strong foundation for growth, allowing AECOM to increase the size of its Melbourne based Power team by around 40 per cent in the past six months. AECOM is looking forward to continuing to develop this industry leading collaborative contracting model with AusNet Services.