Electricity distribution company Powerco will install two new transformers at Whitianga this year, more than doubling the town’s substation capacity. 

The first transformer arrives at the Port of Auckland today and will be trucked over the Kopu-Hikuai hill to Whitianga on Thursday.

Powerco network assets general manager Richard Krogh said the substation upgrade will help to meet increasing power demands and the company’s security of supply standards.

“The two transformers at Whitianga at present have a combined capacity of 15MVA. Each of the new transformers can carry up to 17MVA, making their combined total capacity more than twice what is currently available.”

The installation will also mean either one of the new transformers will be able to supply Whitianga’s electricity demand on its own, allowing a significant level of redundant capacity.

Mr Krogh said replacing the Whitianga transformers also fits into a district-wide upgrading, specifically including substations at Matatoki, Kerepehi and Tairua.

One of the existing Whitianga transformers will be relocated to Matatoki, to accommodate further growth in the area, particularly from Carter Holt Harvey and Thames Timber Mill.

The Matatoki transformer will then be moved to Kerepehi to improve flexibility and reliability across that area, including the Hauraki Plains and Ngatea.

Whitianga’s second replaced transformer will eventually be moved to Tairua.

Due to a lack of manufacturers in New Zealand, Powerco tendered the production of the new transformers. Wilson Transformer Company of Melbourne won the tender and a representative will be on site at Whitianga next week as it is installed.

The installation process will also involve putting in oil bunds, which will stop any contaminants entering the ground or adjacent waterways in case of a leak. Many of Powerco’s transformers will have oil bunds installed this year, as part of the company’s commitment to minimising any adverse environmental impacts.