MAJOR SUBSTATION UPGRADE FOR TE AROHA
5 March 2009
Powerco has commenced a $2 million dollar upgrade of the electricity substation supplying customers in Te Aroha and surrounding areas.Powerco Eastern Planning Manager Neville Goodwin said the Mikkelsen Road substation currently houses two 9MVA transformers which would be removed and replaced with two new 17MVA transformers.
"This project almost doubles the capacity of the substation to accommodate future growth in demand for electricity in the surrounding areas." Mr Goodwin said.
The upgrade will also boost the security of electricity supply because each of the new transformers is capable of supplying the surrounding areas alone.
"When the upgrade is complete we will be able to take one transformer out of service for maintenance, inspections or emergencies without any disruption to customers so it significantly improves network security," Mr Goodwin said.
The new transformers were manufactured by Wilson's transformers of Melbourne and took over a year to build. They weigh 35 tonnes each, and cost $1.2 million in total.
The installation work is being carried out by Tenix and is due to finish in May 2009.
A heavy lift crane leads two trucks loaded with $1.2million worth of electricity transformers to Powerco's Mikkelsen Road electricity substation at Te Aroha.
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