Improving industrial planning of overhead line renovations using a criticality indicator method based on a risk and impact estimation of future failures

In France, 40% of Enedis customers are served by overhead lines, 77% of which are over 25 years old. Originally designed for a 40-year lifespan, these lines face an increased risk of failure after 30 years. To address this, Enedis has launched a €2 billion renovation campaign aimed at upgrading 230,000 km of aging infrastructure by 2035. Traditionally, failure data has been used to prioritize lines at risk, but many aging lines have not failed yet, requiring costly inspections for prioritization. To optimize targeting, Enedis developed a criticality-based method integrated into PowerFactory/Erable software. This method calculates a criticality indicator for each line using a Weibull model for failure rates and an algorithm to simulate the recovery scheme's impact. This approach enables more efficient identification of lines in need of renovation, improving cost-efficiency and ensuring continuous electricity supply while minimizing inspection costs.