Media release:
2 August 2019

Orion switches on new power supply to Lyttelton

Lyttelton’s new 11kV electricity cable through the Lyttelton Road Tunnel was switched on by Orion this week.

The new 2.2km cable runs through the Lyttelton tunnel, and connects up with Lyttelton’s electricity grid at Orion’s Dublin Street substation.

The service will boost the capacity, resilience and reliability of the power service to the Lyttelton, Corsair Bay and Cass Bay community.

The project is the culmination of three years of work by Orion to address reliability and resilience issues with the power supply to Lyttelton.

Andrew Turner, Christchurch Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Banks Peninsula Ward said, “This increased resilience in the power network is important to the Lyttelton area. It gives more security to the people living here, and to the businesses operating in this community.”

Steve Macdonald, Orion’s General Manager Infrastructure, said, “The new cable will operate in tandem with the existing two 11kV power supply lines that run over the Port Hills.

“The lines over the hill are vulnerable to weather, vegetation and pests. With the cable installed underground and protected in the tunnel we have alternatives to keep the power on.

“The Port is an essential lifeline for Canterbury and increasing the resilience of the power supporting it is important for the wider region.”

To allow for future growth, the new cable, actually three separate single core cables, has a power rating of 10 Megawatts, 3 Megawatts greater than the current average demand.

ENDS

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