Special power poles made in Moolap will help fireproof New South Wales after Victorian utilities turned them down, according to their manufacturer.
Dulhunty Poles has signed a multi-year contract to supply its Titan poles to Ausgrid, the electricity distributor for Sydney and Newcastle.
Ausgrid has begun installing Titans in fire-prone areas.
Its cement and fibreglass construction makes the product fireproof, unlike traditional timber power poles.
Dulhunty chief Tony Wingrove said Ausgrid’s use of Titans was a “substantial improvement” on wood poles that would “assist the safety and reliability of electricity supply in NSW”.
Dulhunty Poles had hoped to win business from Victorian utilities but they had
not shown any interest, he said.
Australian utilities use more than 90,000 poles annually, most made of wood and the remainder steel or steel-reinforced concrete, both of which are electrically conductive.
The non-conductive pole Titan pole is also rot and termite-resistant.
More than 10,000 Titan poles are now in service in Australia, French Polynesia and New Zealand.
Dulhunty is now in discussions with a Californian power company. A shipment of poles is expected to leave in the next few months.
Dulhunty Poles has manufactured Titan poles and associated equipment at Moolap since 2011, sourcing raw materials and engineering support from the Geelong area.
