Powerco and Tasman Group Sign Contract
17 Nov 2003
Leading New Zealand gas and electricity network company Powerco today signed distribution and retail contracts with the Tasman Group. General Manager Corporate Development Jeff Kendrew said construction work on the pipeline at Longford would commence within two weeks.
“Powerco is working towards gas being available to the Longford Meatworks by the end of February next year,” he said.
“The construction time frame of 12 weeks is based around the delivery of specialist long-lead time equipment associated with the construction of the off-take station required to connect the pipeline to the Duke Energy transmission system.
“Work on the off-take station will commence in early January following the delivery of equipment such as heaters, a metering unit and pressure reduction equipment that will require fabrication specifically for this project.”
Mr Kendrew said Powerco would project manage the pipeline build itself utilising subcontractors while Team Agility would supply the off-take station.
The pipeline route to supply the Tasman Group will enter the township of Longford along Marlborough Street before crossing over to Pakenham Street via Bulwer Street. It will then proceed along George, Union and Wellington Streets to the meatworks site.
Residential and small commercial customers in Longford that are fronted by the pipeline will be able to connect to gas as early as March next year.
“While Powerco has no immediate plans to extend the gas network throughout the town, individual extensions will be considered on an as-economic basis,” Mr Kendrew said.
Powerco is New Zealand’s largest gas and electricity distributor in terms of network length and largest gas distributor and second largest electricity distributor in terms of connections with approximately 400,000 consumer connections across the North Island.
In April this year Powerco signed a Development Agreement with the Tasmanian Government to rollout a 100km gas distribution network to more than 20 major industrial and commercial customers in Tasmania. This project is due for completion by January 2005.
In September this year Powerco and the Government announced a further agreement to extend gas into specified residential and commercial areas within the State making gas available to approximately 38500 smaller users. This phase is scheduled to start before February 2005 and be completed before April 2007.
Powerco is a public listed company on the NZSX and included in the NZSX50 index.
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