Transpower's purpose is to empower the energy future for New Zealand - a future that delivers a net-zero carbon economy and a reliable, secure electricity system.

Our context

Much of New Zealand's electricity is generated from renewable energy sources (primarily hydro, and increasingly wind and solar) located in remote areas. Essential to powering our country, the HVDC link connects the transmission grid between the North and South Islands and plays an increasingly important role in balancing intermittent renewable generation across both Islands.

The HVDC Upgrade Programme (HVDC Project) aims to replace the three existing high-voltage direct current cables that connect the North Island and South Island power transmission systems with like-for-like cables by 2032, while also installing a fourth cable of the same type. In addition to replacing the cables, a further six projects make up the overall programme of works. The key objectives are to provide value...