Hard yards paying off - Powerco gas leak detection vehicle reducing emissions
Powerco’s gas leak detection vehicle is celebrating two and a half years on the road doing the hard yards – or kilometres – finding leaks across the gas distributor’s 6,200km network.
Since hitting the road in April 2023 technicians have driven the car 9,633km around Powerco’s network which distributes gas to customers in Hawke’s Bay, Taranaki, Horowhenua, Manawatū, Hutt Valley, Porirua and Wellington.
That’s about six times the length of Aotearoa.
Using a roof-mounted laser sensor and more than 40 specially designed intake pipes attached to the front, the hybrid vehicle is able to detect the location of potential gas leaks in the underground network simply by driving the suburbs and cities the company serves.
The team are then able to follow up with further investigation and repair work if needed.
Gas Network Performance Engineer Max Bowron says the eye-catching tech on the vehicle turns heads wherever the car drives.
“The dome at the top pinpoints leak location with a joystick-controlled laser and looks like a mini R2D2, and the intake pipes at the front look like giant moustache. It definitely gets peoples’ attention and we see lots of waving when the team drives by,” he says.
“Our partners at Downer are behind the wheel doing the mahi on our behalf, and they really have gone the extra mile – getting to know the tech, and really taking to this new, faster way of working.”
Powerco’s General Manager Gas Don Elers says he’s pleased the vehicle has led to greater efficiency.
“We used to walk our network using hand-held gas detection devices and it took around five years to survey our entire network. Upgrading to four wheels has seen us cover that ground in one year,” he says.
“Using state-of-the-art technology like this means our customers can be confident that we’re working smarter to make sure our network is safe and we’re reducing the emissions associated with leaks now and into the future.”
Since 1 April the car has surveyed
- 55% of the Hawke’s Bay network, driving 320km over 15 hours and finding 4 leaks.
- 87% of the Hutt Valley and Porirua network, driving 1,261km over 70 hours and finding 35 leaks.
- The entire Manawatū network, driving 1,075km over 52 hours and finding 23 leaks.
- The entire Taranaki network, driving 953km over 47 hours and finding 9 leaks.
- 71% of the Wellington network, driving 429km over 24 hours and finding 10 leaks.
It all adds up
Here’s what this clever car has done across the entire Powerco network since 1 April this year:
- Spent 209 hours on the road
- Travelled 4,039 km
- Found 81 leaks. 68 of those leaks have been repaired so far.
- Estimated 20,702 tCO2e gas saved - that’s equivalent to the average annual gas use of 1,420 residential houses.
(This figure is calculated on how much gas would have otherwise been emitted from the leaks found over a period of five years – the maximum period they would have been emitting before being detected by the previous five-year survey cycle).
Noticed the smell of gas?
Monitoring the underground gas network for leaks is important for both safety and efficiency. That’s why Powerco regularly reminds customers to contact the team if they notice the smell of gas through its ‘Don’t be an egg’ public safety campaign.
That sulphury egg scent is added to natural gas specifically so customers can help detect if there may be a leak.
Customers can phone 0800 111 848 anytime and the team will investigate.
More information on gas safety is here.
Powerco is New Zealand’s largest dual electricity and gas distributor by network length, with over 900,000 Kiwis (across over 473,000 connections) connected to its networks. Powerco’s electricity network covers Coromandel to South Waikato, Tauranga and Mt Maunganui, Taranaki, Whanganui, Rangitīkei, Manawatū and Wairarapa. Its gas network covers Taranaki, Horowhenua, Hawke's Bay, Manawatū, Porirua, Hutt Valley and Wellington.
For more information email media@powerco.co.nz or phone 06 968 4557.
