Across Southeast Asia, electricity demand has been growing steadily as industrialisation, urbanisation and data-centre construction accelerate. Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines are all expanding their transmission and distribution networks – and their utilities face a common challenge: a mix of ageing switchgear still in service and newly commissioned equipment, both of which need reliable insulation monitoring.
What is driving the shift to online PD monitoring
Three trends are converging in the region:
- Grid expansion and interconnections – new 110 kV to 500 kV lines and substations are being built to connect renewable plants and growing load centres, increasing the number of assets that need supervision.
- Ageing assets retained in service – many utilities extend the life of older switchgear and transformers because replacement cycles are long; online monitoring is the tool that makes extended life safe.
- Fewer planned outages – with demand high, utilities minimise scheduled downtime. Online PD monitoring detects developing insulation defects during normal operation, so repairs can be planned rather than forced by a failure.
Why partial discharge is the early indicator
Partial discharge (PD) is almost always the first measurable sign of insulation deterioration in switchgear, transformers and cables – before a visible fault develops. Measuring PD online tells a maintenance team where the defect is and how severe it is, without taking the asset out of service. That makes PD the leading indicator in any condition-based maintenance programme.
How HUWOR supports utilities in Southeast Asia
Zhuhai Huawang Technology Co., Ltd. (HUWOR) supplies the full monitoring chain for distribution and transmission assets:
- Sensors – UHF, HFCT, TEV, ultrasonic and combined PD sensors for GIS, switchgear, transformers and cables, selected according to asset type and accessibility.
- Online monitoring systems – multi-channel PD diagnosis systems and the SCMP platform that continuously collect, trend and alarm on PD activity.
- Handheld and live-line instruments – PD detectors, cable test sets (including oscillating wave test sets) and infrared acoustic imagers for periodic inspection campaigns.
- IoT connectivity – gateways with edge computing that push monitoring data into utility platforms.
HUWOR supports OEM/ODM supply and project-based deployment, and serves customers in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, with service coverage across the wider region.
Getting started: a pragmatic deployment path
Step 1 – Baseline survey
A live-line PD survey with handheld instruments identifies which bays and feeders show elevated activity, so monitoring effort goes where the risk is.
Step 2 – Permanent monitoring on critical assets
Install online sensors on transformers, GIS and switchgear where a failure would be most disruptive, and connect them to a monitoring gateway.
Step 3 – Trend and alarm
Use the monitoring platform to set baselines, track trends and dispatch crews only when trends cross thresholds – converting reactive maintenance into planned maintenance.
About HUWOR
Established in 2010, Zhuhai Huawang Technology Co., Ltd. is a national high-tech enterprise specialising in condition monitoring and assessment of power equipment, with R&D centres in Zhuhai and Xi’an, over 50 patents and 63 software copyrights. The company co-drafted Q/GDW 12082-2021, the DL/T ceramic capacitance sensor standard and T/EPTC 002-2022. For enquiries from Southeast Asia, contact the HUWOR sales team.