Transpower Hiding Plans for More Monstrous Lines?

It’s no secret that Transpower want to build the biggest transmission structure this country will ever see, stretching from the South Waikato to the urban edge of Auckland. What’s not as clear is the shifting scale of this design.

There appears to be a chilling conflict between what the public are being told by Transpower, and the SOE’s actual plans. “There are lies behind what we have been told is the basic reason for this big line - twice the size of anything else,” says HALT’s Doug Parker. “We have been repeatedly told that building it for 400 kV, as per Transpower's desire, will prevent the need for multiple smaller lines, and that this is justified because it uses less land and supposedly affects fewer landowners.”

HALT have discovered that the Electricity Commission and Transpower are talking about the need to build a second big line, before they could safely run the first one at the high voltage that supposedly justifies it in the first place.

Here is the proof, quoting directly from a Transpower document:

“Refer to page 39, paragraph 163:
NORTH ISLAND GRID UPGRADE PROJECT - AMENDED PROPOSAL
FURTHER INFORMATION
163 The Commission has suggested one consideration in the future might be to build a second 220 kV line capable of 400 kV operation rather than convert the first line to 400 kV. This is a sensible option as it would allow more secure operation when conversion to 400 kV occurs”.
What this means is that the present proposal is not designed for optimal security of supply – the very measure being required by the Electricity Commission as directed by the Government.

The entire document is available from http://www.electricitycommission.govt.nz/pdfs/opdev/transmis/Feb07-decision/Response-to-20Dec06-rfi.pdf)

The second quote is from the Electricity Commission's own paper, "Economic Analysis of the Revised North Island Grid Upgrade Project".

“Refer Page 86, paragraphs 23-26:
23. At a time in the future when a decision is being made as to whether to build a second 220kV line or to energise the existing line at 400kV, the latter option would face either an unserved energy differential of $170 million NPV, or an unserved energy differential NPV of $40 million coupled with an acceptance of operation at n security during the repair time.
24. Commission staff consider that, depending on the assumptions adopted, the above analysis suggests that the 400kV upgrade may not comply with the GEIP.
25. In summary, on the basis of the approximate calculations made, the Proposal may face significant unserved energy costs after it is energised at 400kV, due to low probability/high impact double circuit failures.
26. Further, the GRS, or an analogous standard likely to be in place at the time the proposed line is upgraded to 400kV operation, may require that two new 220kV lines are constructed before there can be a transition to 400kV operation.”

(The full document is on the EC website at: http://www.electricitycommission.govt.nz/pdfs/opdev/transmis/Feb07-decision/Economic-Report-23-Feb07-v3.pdf )

Parker states that this is a very serious ‘Security of Supply” issue which is not being responsibly addressed. “We are being hoodwinked into an unsuitable and unacceptable situation without due regard for the real risks and costs to the Auckland businesses and rural communities.”

He concludes; “This situation very clearly demonstrates the failure of this process to deliver the best option for New Zealand. Transpower's "Amended Proposal", which is for the same huge line design rejected by the Electricity Commission last year (minus some expensive transformers which might never be required, if two lines are built), must be stopped and replaced with a safer, more practical alternative.”

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HALT. Home-owners Against Line Trespassers.
Hunua and Paparimu Valley Resident’s Association.

ENDS

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