Singapore grid operator fined after two substation fires cause power failures

SP Power Grid was fined a total of $1.75 million by the Energy Market Authority for two separate substation fire incidents earlier in 2019, according to a written parliamentary reply reported in July 2019. On 14 February 2019, a fire broke out at a substation at Carlton Hotel, caused by a short circuit in the switchgear, disrupting electricity supply to some areas of central Singapore. On 26 January 2019, a fire at a substation in Bright Hill, caused by a faulty voltage transformer, led to a power outage lasting about one and a half hours and affecting some 27,000 residents. The regulator found the Carlton Hotel incident could have been prevented had the operator complied with its standard operating procedure for monitoring work, while the Bright Hill voltage transformer had been used beyond the manufacturer's recommended lifespan. This entry records the regulatory findings and the Bright Hill event; the Carlton Hotel fire itself is also recorded separately in the register.

At the Carlton Hotel substation, insulation between two switchgear components failed under heat stress from foreign contaminants that the regulator said could have been introduced during maintenance, together with non-compliance with the standard operating procedure for monitoring work. At the Bright Hill substation, a faulty voltage transformer used beyond the manufacturer's recommended lifespan started the fire.

1. Strict adherence to standard operating procedures during substation maintenance is essential to prevent contamination entering switchgear and causing insulation failure.
2. Equipment such as voltage transformers should be replaced before exceeding manufacturer recommended lifespans, with tracking to flag ageing assets.
3. Placing critical equipment within a protection zone can isolate a failure and reduce the risk of cascading effects on other substations.

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