Testing and commissioning services

Substation Maintenance Services Australia

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Talk to an engineer: 1300 730 499 or service@megavar.com.au

Last reviewed: July 2026 by Matt Geoghegan, CEO, Megavar

Keeping Your HV Assets Safe, Reliable, and Performing

Substations are the critical nodes of every electricity network. A transformer failure, circuit breaker malfunction, or protection system error can result in extended unplanned outages, millions of dollars in consequential costs, and safety incidents. Megavar provides comprehensive substation maintenance services – preventive, corrective, and condition-based – for transmission, distribution, renewable energy, industrial, and resources sector clients across Australia.

ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 certifiedLicensed in every Australian stateTeams in Hobart, Launceston, Adelaide and Newcastle

Substation Maintenance Services Australia

What is high voltage maintenance?

High voltage maintenance is the scheduled inspection, testing and servicing of HV substation plant, transformers, switchgear, circuit breakers, protection systems and earthing, carried out to keep assets safe, reliable and compliant. It combines condition assessment such as thermal imaging, partial discharge and insulation testing with preventive and corrective servicing.

Field

Value

Voltage range

11kV to 500kV

Standards

AS/NZS, IEC and IEEE

Scope

Transformers, switchgear, protection relays, earthing, SCADA

Coverage

Australia-wide, five offices

Deliverable

Condition assessment and maintenance reports

Maintenance Scope

Power Transformer Maintenance

DGA oil sampling and trending, oil quality testing, insulation resistance, tan delta, winding resistance, SFRA, OLTC servicing and DRM testing, bushing power factor, cooling system inspection and fan/pump testing, gasket and seal inspection, and silica gel breather replacement. Results interpreted using CIGRE guidelines and manufacturer recommendations.

Switchgear and Circuit Breaker Maintenance

Contact resistance (DCRM), insulation resistance, timing tests, SF6 gas quality and top-up, mechanism lubrication, arc chute inspection (AIS), secondary circuit verification, and trip/close coil testing. CB maintenance aligned with manufacturer-recommended service intervals and fault duty history.

Protection Relay Maintenance

Secondary injection testing of all protection functions to verify settings, trip times, and scheme logic remain correct. Firmware updates where applicable. Battery backup verification. Event record and fault record review.

SCADA and Communications

Verification of SCADA point accuracy, alarm mapping, communication link health, RTU battery backup, and failover functionality.

Earthing and Lightning Protection

Earth grid resistance measurement, bonding continuity, lightning arrester leakage current, and surge arrester condition assessment.

General Substation Inspection

Visual inspection, thermal imaging (IR scanning), battery room maintenance, AC/DC board checks, fire detection and suppression systems, security systems, and site housekeeping.

Maintenance Approaches

Preventive (time-based) – Scheduled maintenance at defined intervals based on manufacturer recommendations, regulatory requirements, and industry best practice.
Condition-based – Maintenance triggered by diagnostic data (DGA trends, partial discharge, thermography anomalies). Optimises maintenance spend by targeting assets that need attention.
Corrective – Reactive maintenance to diagnose and repair equipment failures or defects identified during inspections.
Shutdown maintenance – Planned outage maintenance for critical assets requiring de-energisation. We work with system operators to plan within outage windows.

Industries We Maintain

Transmission utilities – ElectraNet, TasNetworks
Distribution utilities – Evo Energy, Zinfra/Jemena
Renewable energy – solar farms, wind farms, BESS
Resources – Alcoa Portland, Nyrstar, Bis Industries
Heavy industry – smelters, refineries, manufacturing

Why Choose Megavar for High Voltage (HV) Substation Maintenance?

Unmatched Expertise: Our team brings years of experience and a proven track record across diverse industries.
Dependable Solutions: With a commitment to quality and integrity, we deliver EPC utilities solutions and maintenance services you can rely on.
Innovative Approach: We employ the latest technologies to keep your systems performing at peak levels.
Safety Focused: Safety is a priority in every operation, protecting our team and your valuable assets.

Choose Megavar as your trusted maintenance partner and experience the difference our expertise and dedication bring to your operations. Contact us today to learn how we can help maintain the efficiency and reliability of your high voltage maintenance systems.

Take it to your team

Capability statement

High-Voltage Testing, Commissioning and Maintenance Services

Primary plant testing, protection and SCADA commissioning, substation maintenance and the design capability behind them.

Clients

What our clients say

Johno and his team provide Bis Industries with a complete high voltage maintenance strategy and works execution for our site. The service is excellent and our partnership with Megavar ensures we have a high level of confidence in both performance and reliability.

David MorrisonArea Manager - Tasmania, Bis

Megavar has repeatedly demonstrated their ability to quickly mobilise their highly skilled technicians to meet project demands and effectively develop solutions in a highly proficient and professional manner.
Megavar have been a pleasure to deal with, and we look forward to continuing to work closely on future projects for years to come.

Matt LawlessDirector – High Voltage Contracting

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions High Voltage (HV) Substation Maintenance Services

What does substation maintenance include?

Substation maintenance covers all HV assets: transformer diagnostics (DGA, electrical testing), switchgear and circuit breaker servicing, protection relay testing, SCADA verification, earthing testing, lightning protection, thermal imaging, battery maintenance, and general site inspection.

How often should substation maintenance be performed?

Frequency depends on asset age, criticality, and maintenance strategy. Common schedules: annual DGA and thermography, 3–5 year routine electrical testing cycles, and CB maintenance per manufacturer intervals or fault duty history.

Does Megavar manage outage planning for maintenance?

Yes. We coordinate with system operators, NSPs, and plant operators to plan maintenance within approved outage windows, ensuring all required work is completed efficiently without extending the outage.

Can Megavar develop a customised maintenance programme?

Yes. We develop tailored maintenance programmes based on asset condition data, manufacturer recommendations, regulatory requirements, operational risk, and budget. Programmes can be preventive, condition-based, or a hybrid approach.

Can Megavar work outside business hours?

Yes. Night, weekend and outage work is planned and booked in advance. For an urgent fault, call 1300 730 499 and we will confirm what we can mobilise and when.

What test equipment does Megavar use for substation maintenance?

Megavar uses Omicron CMC 356 and CMC 500 relay test sets, Omicron CPC 100 primary test systems, Megger insulation testers, Megger DLRO micro-ohmmeters, Omicron CIBANO 500 and Megger TM1600 circuit breaker analysers, FLIR thermal imaging cameras, and a full range of earth testing equipment. All instruments are calibrated and maintained in-house from our own hire fleet of over 200 items.

ISO Certified and Licensed in Every State

Megavar is certified to ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment) and ISO 45001 (safety), and holds electrical contractors licences in every Australian state.

Ready to discuss your maintenance programme? Contact Megavar today on 1300 730 499 or visit our contact page to request a quote.

Request a quote

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Talk to us now

1300 730 499 service@megavar.com.au Hobart · Launceston · Adelaide · Newcastle · Gladstone

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