The company has more than 20 years of experience constructing and installing high voltage transmission lines and power distribution networks.

Accredited to build lines of up to 132 kilovolts, along with substations and low voltage distribution networks, P&U can provide electrical infrastructure services including new installations, upgrades, maintenance, routine inspections, emergency response, repairs, relocations, removals and stringing communications cables.

P&U’s clients include Rio Tinto, Xstrata, Centennial Coal, Endeavour Energy, Ausgrid, Leighton Construction and Bovis Lend Lease.

By working with project managers and design engineers in the early stages of a project, P&U says it can minimise its clients’ risks by ensuring the final design is buildable, cost-effective and robust.

The company uses the Skytrust safety management and auditing system to manage work, health and safety risks, and to improve overall efficiency and performance.

P&U director Sean McGinty said that for mining operations, quick response minimised costly loss of production.

“Our project managers are trained to work closely with their counterparts, with other contractors on the site and to communicate effectively with the local community so that everyone knows what is going to happen, when it will happen and why the work is necessary,” he said.

P&U cam undertake projects Australia-wide, having completed major projects such as cross-country high voltage transmission lines and local distribution networks, electrical infrastructure for mining operations, railway line and roadworks, building and construction sites.

At the Airly coal mine, the company was commissioned to build a 4km 66kV feeder line between a cut-in to a 66kV Endeavour Energy line to a substation near the mine site, which 30km northwest of Lithgow, NSW, while the mine was under construction.

Before starting work, P&U reviewed the design provided by the client and offered an alternative design that would result in a $200,000 in construction costs. Its design was accepted and the cost savings realised.

P&U also designed and constructed a 20km 66kV feeder from the Ulan zone substation to the Wilpinjong open cut coal mine in Mudgee, NSW. It also built a substation and distribution network to supply power for mining operations.

After construction work began, the client requested the already tight construction time be reduced by a month.

P&U provided additional resources to meet this deadline, which enabled $500,000 in on-site electricity generating costs to be saved.