First stage of cable project complete

THE first stage of Aurora Energy’s Smith St cable project is now complete, the power company says.

The work is the first step in a $5.6 million project to install a subtransmission cable from Halfway Bush to the Smith St Substation.

Aurora’s general manager for asset management and planning, Glenn Coates, said the final set of cable ducts on Taieri Rd was secured by crews yesterday morning.

The completion of the first stage was a ‘‘significant milestone’’ for the project.

‘‘The second stage of the project will involve 21km of new highvoltage cable being pulled through the ducts in sections,’’ Mr Coates said.

The cables would run from Halfway Bush grid exit point substation along Taieri Rd, up and over Stuart St to the Smith St Substation.

Work on the second stage would begin tomorrow, outside Moana Pool.

Mr Coates said he urged drivers to keep safe and drive to the conditions while traffic management was in place.

Aurora Energy is progressively upgrading from the older, gasinsulated subtransmission cables that supply central Dunedin, to modern cables.

Aurora chief executive Dr Richard Fletcher said $175.1 million had been spent on renewing, maintaining and building Aurora’s network in Otago from 2016 to 2018.

Dr Fletcher reported last month that in Central Otago, 2170 power poles were replaced or reinforced last year.

Another 6000 would be done in the next two to three years, and another 4000 in the seven years after that.