Transpower New Zealand

We're #hiring. Apply today or share this post with your network. Check out these videos to hear our team talk about what they do. https://bit.ly/3TLvYBb

We're #hiring. Apply today or share this post with your network. Check out these videos to hear our team talk about what they do. https://bit.ly/3TLvYBb

At Transpower, we love seeing our people excel and come up with innovative new ways of doing things.  One of the coolest examples of innovation we’ve seen recently has come from graduate engineer Vinod Rodrigo who developed a conductor temperature sensing device package to assist sagging operations. Vinod’s device, called TempSense, has already made a huge difference to the way our engineers sag power lines, and we’re stoked to share this example of one of our own taking the time to consider how we can improve our work. The traditional approach to sagging lines can be slow, prone to errors, and creates extra work for crews already busy with adjustments. TempSense is a device package consisting of three components: The conductor holder securely grips an earth wire and a sample piece of ACSR GOAT conductor. It features a handle with a pair of strong magnets, allowing it to attach easily to a steel pole or tower.  The transmitter includes an accurate temperature probe, and the device magnetically clips onto the conductor holder, ensuring constant contact with the conductor for precise readings. The receiver, used by engineers on the ground, displays real-time temperature updates with a tested working range of over 2 kilometres.  Vinod developed TempSense during his service provider placement with Northpower, after joining the Transpower graduate programme in 2024. During a sagging project with Northpower, Vinod’s supervisor pointed out some inefficiencies in the traditional methods. In response, Vinod came up with a device to address these challenges: TempSense.  TempSense reduces the workload for engineers, improves overall reliability and increases efficiently of transmission line sagging operations.   Ka pai Vinod!

One of the most important roles we fulfil at Transpower is ensuring that we have the right infrastructure to move electricity from where it is generated to homes and businesses across the motu. A huge part of this task involves looking ahead to the future and planning the electricity infrastructure that Aotearoa will need as our demand for electricity increases.  We’re inviting feedback on a short-list of possible electricity infrastructure investments for the Upper South Island to ensure the region’s electricity needs are met into the 2030s. Our preferred investment option is a $77 million investment that includes: - Building two new switching stations near Orari and Rangitata by 2028 - Upgrading two existing transmission lines - Installing equipment to manage voltage We are keen to hear feedback on our preferred option, and you can do so via our website before 14 February 2025. After we have considered the feedback, we will decide whether to submit a proposal for investment to the Commerce Commission.

Together with local lines companies, Northpower and Top Energy, we have released our emerging plan that details how we’ll achieve a more resilient and reliable electricity grid for Northland in the future.  This collaboration sets out to identify what new electricity infrastructure would further support resilience and enable new renewable generation and growth. Northland has abundant sun, wind and geothermal energy potential which could be harnessed to allow more power to flow through and out of Northland, providing not only added resilience but opportunities for economic development.  We will be discussing this plan with stakeholders in early 2025 to get their input and ideas. You can read the full document here: https://lnkd.in/gQzenx_J

Harnessing the power of the sun ☀️ ⚡ Lodestone Energy's Te Herenga o Te Rā solar farm became the first to connect directly to our national grid. This significant milestone is the culmination of a lot of work between Transpower and Lodestone, and is an exciting glimpse into the future for the country’s power system. With several more grid-connected solar farms in delivery, Transpower and the rest of the sector are making good progress towards an even more highly renewable power system.

There’s plenty of work we’re excited about in 2025, and as an industry we’re looking to build on the progress of last year. In case you’re interested, here’s some key numbers from 2024. Like previous years, there was a good amount of new renewable energy connected to the grid, especially wind generation. In total, we welcomed six new generation sites this year, collectively adding 456 MW of renewable energy – enough to power over 400,000 homes! Three new wind farms helped boost wind’s overall share of the generation mix by over 2% compared to 2023. This also led to wind generation peaking at 1,063 MW for a moment on 7 September - its highest ever and about a sixth of Aotearoa’s average electricity consumption! With our sights now set on 2025, there's a lot of mahi to be done across the electricity sector, and we look forward to working collaboratively with the industry and keeping this momentum rolling!

Last Friday we reached an agreement with Prysmian to manufacture and install replacement high voltage electricity submarine cables across the Cook Strait in 2031-32.  Though this may seem far in the future, constraints in the global supply chain meant we needed to secure a supplier now to ensure the continuing reliability of our inter-island power link.  Most of the time, our HVDC (high-voltage direct current) link moves power generated in the South Island (where the bulk of NZ’s hydro generation is) to the North Island (where most of NZ's electricity demand is). However, this trend reversed this year when South Island hydro dams reached low levels due to low rainfall and snowmelt during the dry spell from April to September, and we needed to lean more on generation in the North. This highlighted how all New Zealand benefits from the flexibility that this 570km link provides. Next year we’ll be consulting on other aspects of the HVDC project, so you can expect to hear more about it then. ⚡ Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gTmX4_cx

We're pleased to have Vital NZ on board for the refresh of our TransGO telecommunications network. ⚡ Vital is providing radio relay links, an essential component to support this critical infrastructure that connects our over 190 substations and sites across the motu. We are looking forward to partnering with Vital to continue safely and reliably operating New Zealand's electricity transmission system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Transpower is proud to support the Wonder Project Power Challenge. We take a hands-on approach and encourage our employees to get involved, as Transpower ambassadors, going into classrooms to teach and inspire. It’s great to see the difference it’s making, with survey results showing that: - 71% of ākonga (students) and 95% of kaiako (teachers) said the challenge increased their confidence with STEM - 43% of ākonga were more interested in STEM jobs after the challenge - 90% of kaiako noticed a positive shift in ākonga perceptions of STEM - 98% of kaiako said they would do it again A few of our ambassadors sum it up best when they say: - “It’s a truly rewarding experience, knowing that you play a part in inspiring the next generation of STEM professionals. It requires just a few hours of investment of your time, and the program material is well-designed and easy to work with” – Byron George - “You have the ability to influence the future of some kids” - Gerk Chen - “It's a very special experience. Something you can't really prepare for” – Ralf Huebner