EDP Distribuição is interested in analyzing competitive solutions that help reducing the impact of ice and snow in its overhead power lines. In this context, EDP Distribuição has been working with Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) in the development of an innovative icephobic coating that may be applied on conductors of already existing High Voltage (HV) or Medium Voltage (MV) overhead power lines, in order to prevent ice and snow accretion. Building on EDP Distribuição's requirements, IST developed 7 different solutions based on nanocomposite materials. These possible solutions were applied in small ACSR 50 conductor samples (with one additional bare sample for reference) that were placed at an high altitude location in Serra da Estrela, subjected to natural snow and icy conditions. The team has been registering accretion on bare and coated sample conductors in order to assess the effectiveness of the solutions and aging impact on their performance. This information, together with commercial price estimations (supplied by IST) will be used to identify the solution that best fits the needs of EDP Distribuição. The next step will be to test the most suitable solution with a pilot experience on a critical overhead power line. The performance of the coating will be assessed through the use of load cells that will be permanently measuring mechanical tension of both coated and uncoated conductors. This paper gives an overview of the problem, of existent market solutions and of the coatings developed by EDP Distribuição and IST, as well as of the pilot experience and of results obtained so far.

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