EBR - successful technical co-operation between companies in Sweden and the influence of deregulation

摘要

In a small country as Sweden, where the electricity distribution network is divided on many companies of different size, there is an obvious risk that different technical solutions and choice of material and methods will increase the costs. In order to avoid this, a voluntary co-operation between almost all of the companies in Sweden has been going on since more than 30 years under the name of EBR, "Rational Construction of Distribution Networks". The cooperation has under the years been extended, from constructions for overhead lines, to later include underground constructions, cost estimates and calculations, material handling, safety rules, maintenance etc, until it today is a whole system for a rational distribution of electricity. The work is done by a small secretariat, at the central branch association, Svensk Energi, and with participation of many voluntary experts from the distribution companies in committees and working groups. After the deregulation of electricity in Sweden, the companies have changed in many ways, by reorganisations, mergers, outsourcing etc. The increased competition on the sales of electricity has also forced the companies to find methods to reduce the costs, also for the distribution network. This has made the use of EBR more important, and also created a need to look more in detail at the maintenance costs of the networks than before. On the same time the companies also have reduced their technical staff, and sometimes people with the right knowledge are now working in consultancy and contracting firms, and are more reluctant to participate in committees and working groups without adequate compensation. The report describes briefly the EBR co-operation and history, and discusses its future in a changing environment.