PBA Accreditations
 

Authorised Vaisala Distributor

PBA are proud to be an Authorised Vaisala Distributor for Vaisala's power product portfolio - a range of specialised online measurement equipment for the power industry.

PBA have had considerable experience with the Vaisala products, and are the Authorised Vaisala Distributors for the Power Portfolio.

They have been able to provide valuable insights and experience, which has been appreciated by our customers, and the team at Vaisala.

This has been across our power product portfolio. Monitoring of SF6, moisture in oil measurement, multigas DGA monitoring, and single gas monitoring.

Some of the projects have been:

  • OPT100, Multigas DGA install's in
    • New Zealand, South Island and North Island
    • Australia, Victoria and Western Australia
  • DPT145, SF6 online monitoring (portable and fixed) in
    • New Zealand, South Island and North Island
    • Australia, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia
  • Dewpoint, transformer drying in New Zealand
    • MMP8, MMT162, moisture in oil monitoring in New Zealand

We are looking forward to strengthening the Vaisala and PBA partnership.

Anthony Ulrich
Sales Manager
Vaisala Industrial Measurements
Vaisala Pty Ltd,
Servicing Australia and New Zealand

Rio Tinto Approved Contractor Status

PBA has made a large step forward in the Australian high voltage electricity market by gaining Approved Contractor Status with Rio Tinto.

This accreditation acknowledges PBA's entrance into Australia and sets a precedent for future growth in providing technical services to the entire Australasian region.

The Pilbara region in Western Australia supplies 15% of the worlds iron ore production of 1.59 billion tonnes. PBA's technical specialists have recently been at Rio Tinto's Tom Price mine which produces 28 million tonnes of high grade iron ore annually. It has a workforce of 1500 who are based in the nearby town of Tom Price.

PBA was engaged to provide specialist technical knowledge on various equipment including two 20MVA transformer tap changers and associated equipment at the Tom Price mine. PBA specialists also assisted Rio Tinto with a circuit breaker mechanism box replacement.

During the visit to Western Australia the temperatures reached into the early forties in the shade. These extreme conditions in an isolated location provide an appreciation as to why stringent health & safety accreditation is required for Rio Tinto's contractors. The outside working conditions in Western Australia have also given our specialists a new respect for the classic Aussie wave.

PBA's “Service & Delivery” model, backed by systems and policies certified to industry standards, is developing the relationship with Rio Tinto, particularly in the Pilbara region.

Wilson Transformer Factory Training

In October of 2013 two PBA transformer experts traveled to Melbourne, Australia, to spend a week at Wilson Transformer Company (WTC) to receive extended transformer assembly training in the factory.

PBA had already installed several WTC transformers for various clients around New Zealand. This extended training was initiated with a view to creating a long standing and constructive relationship between PBA's technical specialists and WTC. The visit to the WTC factory was enlightening for the PBA staff who were able to inspect and discuss the various assembly and testing areas of the factory, and the finer points of taking delivery and assembling the transformers. This extended training was arranged prior to the supply and installation of two transformers for Genesis Energy at their Huntly Power Station early in 2014, which went very smoothly without any issues. Based on the way in which both organisations have worked together, WTC feel very confident to use PBA staff on future installations of WTC transformers.

PBA's PREQUAL Requalification

PREQUAL, previously known as CPNZ, is a New Zealand client led, fully outsourced, pan-industry contractor prequalification scheme originally set up with input from New Zealand's leading generation companies.

PBA are qualified under Category 4 (Main or Controlling Contractor), which is the highest category and achieved 5 stars in our recent requalification with an overall score of 86% and achieved 100% in six of the twelve qualification categories.

The improvement highlights PBA's commitment to continual improvement of its management systems and the engagement of all PBA staff.

PBA Gains ACC WSMP Tertiary Level

Having recently completed the bi-annual ACC Workplace Safety Management Practices (WSMP) audit, PBA has received notice from ACC confirming that PBA achieved tertiary level.

The main purpose of the audit was to measure PBA's health and safety systems and practices against the WSMP audit standards. The tertiary level recognises that PBA operates a continual improvement framework for workplace health and safety management.