York Road reconstruction
Powerco’s assets on York Rd, Taranaki were in poor condition and in need of an upgrade, having had little renewal work over the past 50 years.
Additionally, the voltage quality on the Colton Road North feeder, which supplies power along the main road, also needed to be improved, and the likelihood of chicken sheds being built on the road meant three transformers needed to be installed.
The challenge
To replace ageing assets and, anticipating growing industrial activity in the area, building up the network ahead of time so that customers in the area have a reliable and long-term power solution.
The solution
To upgrade equipment on York Rd, replacing 85 poles along 6.5km of road, reconductoring 3kms of lines and increasing voltage quality from 6.6kV to 11kV, to improve the reliability of power supply to customers.
In order to complete the work quickly and with minimum disruption to customers, we worked with a team of three service providers. Therefore, the project was completed in two weeks from 14-25 October 2019 with only six shutdowns required (whereas one service provider alone would have taken two-three months and a minimum of 17 shutdowns to complete).
The benefit
Upgraded equipment means residents have a more reliable power supply, reducing the number of unplanned outages.
