Ruataniwha Substation upgrade strengthens Central Hawke’s Bay network and supports new solar farm connection
Centralines Ruataniwha Substation, Isabelle Crawshaw, Karen Middleberg, Fenton Wilson
Centralines has successfully livened its upgraded Ruataniwha Substation, marking the completion of a major project to strengthen Central Hawke’s Bay’s electricity network. Located on Ongaonga Road in Waipawa, the substation is a key part of Centralines’ network and supports more than 9,300 rural, residential, commercial and industrial power connections across the region.
The project has replaced ageing infrastructure, increased network capacity and improved resilience, helping Centralines provide a safe and reliable electricity supply while supporting future growth across the district. Centralines General Manager Isabelle Crawshaw says completing the upgrade is a significant milestone for Central Hawke’s Bay.
“Ruataniwha Substation plays a vital role in supplying electricity to homes, farms, businesses and industry across Central Hawke’s Bay.
“Completing this upgrade strengthens the network our community relies on today and creates capacity for future growth, including residential development, expanding businesses, agriculture and new renewable generation.”
The project included a new switchroom, underground cabling, 33kV switchgear and equipment installation, commissioning and the staged livening of the upgraded substation. The new Ruataniwha 33kV switchroom will also provide the network connection point for the Central Hawke’s Bay solar farm, which is under construction on the Ruataniwha Plains through Centralines’ joint venture with Lodestone Energy.
The 35 hectare solar farm will connect directly to Centralines’ network next to Transpower’s Waipawa Grid Exit Point. Once operational, it is expected to generate around 49.6 GWh of renewable electricity annually, enough to power approximately 7,000 New Zealand homes.
Ms Crawshaw says the solar farm is a good example of the future opportunities the upgraded infrastructure was designed to support.
“The solar farm was not the original driver for the substation upgrade, but it shows the value of planning ahead for our region’s changing energy needs.
“Connecting more locally generated renewable electricity will help strengthen energy resilience and support long term benefits for Central Hawke’s Bay consumers.”
Centralines worked alongside Unison Networks, Unison Contracting, Connell Contracting, Mitton Electronet, EDC and Transpower to deliver the substation upgrade.
The project also incorporated more sustainable building practices, including modern SF₆ free switchgear from RPS Switchgear and materials selected to help reduce the switchroom’s environmental footprint.
Ms Crawshaw thanked the teams and project partners involved in completing the upgrade.
“Delivering a project of this scale takes careful planning, technical expertise and strong collaboration. Thank you to everyone whose work helped us reach this important milestone for Central Hawke’s Bay.”