Major Projects in My area
At Centralines we're committed to providing you with a reliable power supply. So, to ensure your network remains resilient, we routinely undertake maintenance and upgrade projects.
Our Commitment to You
We understand that our large-scale projects can cause inconveniences for our customers, so we do our best to keep you up-to-date with information about how the project is tracking and how you may be affected.
Our paramount concern is always the safety of our customers, and at all times during the course of the project we will ensure our contractors comply with our public safety standards.
Ruataniwha Substation
It's time for a major upgrade to meet the growing electricity demand of our community.
Ruataniwha Substation on Ongaonga Road, Waipawa, powers over 9,300 rural, urban residential, commercial and industrial power connections in the area.
It is the backbone of the power supply into Central Hawkes’ Bay that is provided by Transpower’s Grid Exit Point (GXP) next door. This upgrade is the perfect opportunity to incorporate more sustainable building practices and modern equipment into the project while making the network more resilient.
Supporting local growth:
As the existing assets in this area are reaching the end of their lifecycle for the ongoing safety and resilience of the network it is time for them to be replaced. At the same time as we look to the future, the predicted growth in the district will need upgraded infrastructure to enable this growth.
Building Resilience and Preparing for the Future:
This project is designed to support the growing needs of residential, commercial, and agricultural developments. It will increase the network’s capacity to handle peak demand and ensure smooth operation even under higher loads. By strengthening the system, we’re enhancing the area’s resilience against outages and reducing the risk of system failures.
Collaborating for the community:
As with any complex and important project it is crucial to have the right team of experts working together to complete the work. We’re proud to be working alongside experts from Unison Networks, Unison Contracting, Connell Contracting, Mitton Electronet, EDC and Transpower to make this project happen. The switchroom will use modern, more environmentally friendly switchgear from RPS Switchgear and has been designed to minimise its overall environmental footprint through the materials selected to build the switch room.
Timeline:
Project target completion February 2026
- September 2024: Civil works begin
- March 2025: Switchroom construction
- June 2025: 33kV switchgear installation
- July 2025: Equipment installations
- August 2025: Underground cable installation
- September 2025: Start of commissioning of the new system
- February 2026: Livening of the system
What is a substation?
Substations, like Ruataniwha, play a crucial role in how Centralines supplies electricity to the community. They not only transform voltage from high to low (or the reverse) but also perform other essential functions.
Traditionally, substations have been built without considering their environmental impact. That's why we're taking a proactive approach to ensure our substations are sustainable and environmentally friendly. We’re committed to powering our community in a way that not only meets the growing energy needs but also protects the environment.
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