Suburban power pylons could go
High voltage power lines that run across the outskirts of two New Plymouth suburbs could soon be removed as part of changes made possible by the decommissioning of an electricity substation at Port Taranaki.
Transpower is seeking community input on five options for where it should place its permanent connection between the 110kV and 220kV electricity transmission lines that currently feed into a substation at Port Taranaki.
That substation will soon close and the lines, which connect to Transpower’s Carrington St substation, will temporarily be connected just outside port land.
But, depending on where the new substation is located, there is potential to combine the lines and allow the removal of up to 15 pylons currently on the outskirts of Spotswood and Whalers Gate.
In a press release, Transpower grid delivery general manager Mark Ryall said one option was to make the permanent substation location just outside the port.
‘‘However, if we locate south of the port – say at the tank farm or even further back - we have an opportunity to remove sections of the smaller 110 kV line that goes over Spotswood and around the back of Whalers Gate.
‘‘The further south we go to make the connection, the more of that line we can remove.
‘‘However, we will then need to build more new line to span the distance between the two existing to make a connection,’’ Ryall said.
The community is also being asked what type of pylons it would like to be used for that new connection.
The options include structures similar to the existing steel towers, which are are 45m high and 16.5m wide at the base, or a
45m-high monopole that would be
2.5m at the base.
One aspect that is common to all options is the need for the larger New Plymouth to Stratford 220kV line to initially remain.
Any planning also needed to consider future industrial development near Port Taranaki, which may require high capacity electricity transmission, so they will be keeping that line, he said.
‘‘If it becomes clear that the line is not needed, and the permanent location is back from the port, then those surplus sections of line might go too.’’
Transpower expected to confirm the permanent connection site by late December.
Port Taranaki said the removal of the substation would free up land for future commercial use or development.
Port Taranaki bought the former Contact Energy power station in 2012 and has been working with Transpower as it starts the process of decommissioning its supply point at Port Taranaki and removing the substation, a spokesman said.