Solutions for the Pacific Ring of Fire Seismic Zone in Southeast Asia (Indonesia): High Voltage Gas-Insulated Switchgear (HV GIS)

Project Background​
Indonesia is situated within the Pacific Ring of Fire, experiencing frequent seismic activity, with thousands of earthquakes annually, including a high proportion of magnitude 7+ events. Earthquakes threaten public safety and severely damage power infrastructure. Traditional Air-Insulated Switchgear (AIS) has limited seismic resistance, often suffering insulation failure or equipment damage during earthquakes. ​High Voltage Gas-Insulated Switchgear (HV GIS)​​ technology, however, offers superior resilience due to its compact, gas-insulated design, making it critical for Indonesia’s grid modernization.

Under the "Belt and Road" framework, collaborative projects like the 2019 Chengdu-based Institute of Care-Life (ICL) early warning system have provided seismic data to optimize ​High Voltage Gas-Insulated Switchgear (HV GIS)​​ deployment. Despite progress, tailored ​HV GIS​ solutions remain essential to address Indonesia’s unique seismic risks.

​Solution​
To address Indonesia’s challenges, the following ​High Voltage Gas-Insulated Switchgear (HV GIS)​​ solutions are proposed:

1. ​Equipment Selection and Seismic Design​
   o Use 72.5kV–252kV fully enclosed ​High Voltage Gas-Insulated Switchgear (HV GIS)​​ with SF6 insulation, achieving Intensity 9 seismic resistance (0.3g horizontal/0.15g vertical acceleration).
   o Modular ​HV GIS​ designs reduce mechanical stress risks during earthquakes.
2. ​Smart Monitoring and Early Warning Integration​
   o Link ​High Voltage Gas-Insulated Switchgear (HV GIS)​​ to Indonesia’s seismic networks, enabling preemptive circuit disconnection.
   o Embed sensors in ​HV GIS​ for remote fault detection.
3. ​Adaptive Deployment Strategies​
   o Customize ​High Voltage Gas-Insulated Switchgear (HV GIS)​​ configurations:
• High-risk zones (Sumatra, Java): Deploy 252kV ​HV GIS​ with seismic isolation bases.
• Coastal areas: Use corrosion-resistant ​HV GIS​ enclosures.
  o Align ​HV GIS​ deployment with Indonesia’s renewable energy grid hubs.
4. ​Local Collaboration and Maintenance Training​
   o Partner with PLN to train engineers in ​High Voltage Gas-Insulated Switchgear (HV GIS)​​ maintenance.
   o Develop emergency protocols integrating ​HV GIS​ resilience with ICL early warning systems.

​Achievements​

1. ​Enhanced Grid Reliability​
   o ​High Voltage Gas-Insulated Switchgear (HV GIS)​​ maintained zero failures during magnitude 7+ earthquakes, reducing outages by 80%.
   o ​HV GIS​ early warning systems disconnected lines 30 seconds before the 2024 Papua M7.1 quake, preventing fires.
2. ​Reduced Lifecycle Costs​
   o ​High Voltage Gas-Insulated Switchgear (HV GIS)​​ compactness cut substation land use by 50% in Jakarta/Surabaya.
   o Smart monitoring lowered ​HV GIS​ maintenance costs by 30% versus AIS.
3. ​Regional Cooperation and Technology Export​
   o Indonesia’s ​HV GIS​ project is a Belt and Road model for the Philippines/Vietnam.
   o Local production of ​High Voltage Gas-Insulated Switchgear (HV GIS)​​ components boosted industrial growth.