Protection asset maintenance-what business value?

One of the primary drivers of the regulatory regime within which the UK electricity industry operates has been a sustained downward pressure on the operating costs of the distribution businesses. This downward pressure has been accompanied by a requirement to improve levels of customer service. In order to achieve the required improvements in operational efficiencies a fundamental review of maintenance activities has been carried out. This paper describes the review process as applied to the protection asset base. This review has allowed the introduction of new maintenance cycles justified by economic and risk considerations driven by the business values