Whakapapa's turn for power upgrade

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 396, 23 July 1991, Page 3

Whakapapa's turn for power upgrade

Power supply to the Whakapapa skifield is to be upgraded with two ground laid cables replacing the present overhead line at an expected cost of around $180,000.

The existing line, constructed in 1955, has reached its operating limits. Upgrading the line was considered in 1989, but the estimated $100,000 plus costs were deemed

unacceptable for a single line that would still be subject to storm and bird faults and which would meet considerable opposition from the Department of Conservation. King Country Energy' directors were told at their July meeting the proposed upgrading will save around $22,500 a year in line losses once the National Downhill area is electrified. At present electricity losses from the line cost the board around $11,200 per year. The work will also improve overall supply reliability to the skifield with three quarters of the

supply able to be restored in under two hours for all likely faults. By using two 50mm cables the voltage regulators currently in use on the overhead line can be removed and installed at Turoa to cope with greater than expected demand there. The directors were told that the Department of Conservation wanted to see the power line through the Whakapapa Village undergrounded and had offered assistance with trenching and transformer enclosures. Chief engineer Colin Martin said the old poles would have to be lifted

out by helicopter because it was impossible to get a truck to most of the poles. The board has agreed that the cable can be ordered and that negotiations continue with the Department of Conservation and other interested parties to obtain an acceptable agreement on the undergrounding of the village line and payment of a rental for the cable. (King Country Energy has to pay DOC $2,000 a year in ground rental for the Turoa skifield cable.).