30 May 2013

New equipment boosts electricity flow across Cook Strait

8:21 am on 30 May 2013

New high capacity equipment has begun boosting the flow of electricity across Cook Strait.

The development known as Pole 3 began operating on Wednesday, and is one of several projects by Transpower to increase electricity transmission.

The scheme is intended to prevent a repeat of problems that have occurred during power crises, when electricity was expensive in one island but going to waste in the other.

Transpower says Pole 3 will increase the flow of electricity between the islands from 700 to 1000 megawatts, and eventually to 1200 megawatts.

Pole 3 consists of equipment at Benmore Dam in the South Island and Haywards substation near Wellington.

It converts electricity from alternating current to direct current and back again, which facilitates the transmission of power.

The work was budgeted at $672 million though is expected to come in under that.