"Construction sites are still operational, the safety of the cables is in our hands"

Electricity does not only travel through “visible” conductors that connect the high voltage pylons. Cities are traversed by underground cables, which must be constantly monitored to ensure the safety of the electricity system. In Turin, Pierpaolo Basentini, 33, takes care of it. He is the technical representative for the cables under the responsibility of Terna's Turin Plant Unit. Terna is the operator of the national electricity transmission grid. Basentini is an operational technician and during his working days he reviews all the reports of excavations and requests for plans, as well as the actual construction sites that are in the vicinity of the underground power lines.

“Everything regarding cables in Turin and the interference they could be subjected to is the focus of my work. My colleagues and I are also dedicated to maintaining a relationship with the companies involved in the excavations, to remind them of the importance of keeping us informed of all the works in progress. It is possible that someone in the community may forget to send us an email to notify us of any works, as in the case of repairs to aqueducts or district heating", he says. "For this reason we have an operative who checks the cables on a daily basis, moving around the city. We have never faced an extreme situation, fortunately: it is true that the cables are marked, but it is also thanks to our work training companies (which are almost always the same ones, in these types of jobs), and to which we explain over and over again all the factors to be taken into consideration. It is worth taking an extra ten minutes if it means protecting the power lines and everyone’s work”.

Basentini has been working in Turin since 2017, but his career in Terna began way back in 2008: “I used to work in the Plant Unit in Potenza. When it was closed I decided to move to Turin, even though I didn't used to work with underground cables but with overhead power lines. I am a trained electrician. I had started studying Environmental Engineering at university but I gave up shortly after beginning. Terna called me for an interview almost immediately, once I had finished high school and in the end… I decided to dedicate myself only to working. Everything turned out great just the same!”.

In addition to working in the office, Basentini moves about to the many Terna construction sites in the city. “Together with my colleagues, I check the construction sites and the execution of the works, in addition to the problems that arise on the spot. When there are no working construction sites, we prepare for future sites”. “During this time of Covid-19, I have devoted my energy above all to this part of the work, the organisational side”says the technician.

“During lockdown, the construction sites were closed but we continued to carry out inspections with the various companies in order to be able to restart as soon as possible, as early as May. Companies that are operational need to see where the power lines are in order to be ready. In this way, in just a few weeks we were able to start three new construction sites". Working from home during Covid did not last long for Basentini, only two weeks, thanks to the shifts and office spaces set up by Terna that guarantee alternating shifts with colleagues in the office.

In order to make the most of the mandatory "downtime", the technician was also engaged as a tutor to train the operational personnel of the Plant Unit: “It was a great experience and opportunity to explore certain topics so well. The fact that there we so few of us, obviously using web conference tools, has led us to really get to know each other, keeping in touch in the meantime even during this complicated time".

In the meantime, work is proceeding on the construction site and the safety regulations against the spread of the virus have been in full swing for months. No problems, really. “I won’t deny that last spring, when it first started getting warmer, wearing a face mask was a little more uncomfortable than usual. But we have gotten used to it. In 2008, the first time I put on a hard hat I felt the same way but now I don’t even notice it anymore: it’s just a matter of getting used to it!”.