Bhutanese electricity leaders in Whangarei

Northpower Limited Media Statement
Date: 9 July, 2013
Subject: Bhutanese electricity leaders in Whangarei

Northpower is hosting a delegation from the Bhutan Power Corporation Limited (BPC) as part of a fact finding mission on best practice in the electricity sector.

The delegation is this week visiting Northpower’s head office in Whangarei, along with its Auckland depots.

Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia located at the eastern end of the Himalayas, bordered to the north by China and to the south, east and west by the Republic of India.

Northpower Chief Executive Mark Gatland says it is pleasing to host BPC’s leaders and their tour sponsor, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).

“Northpower has worked with TEPCO previously and learnt from its experience in the electricity sector so it is pleasing to be able to pass on our electricity network knowledge to representatives of BPC,” says Mr Gatland.

“The challenges BPC faces maintaining its network are immense, with men having to walk for days in very steep terrain to attend to maintenance. Anything we can share that helps them is positive.”

The Northpower tour included an overview of the New Zealand electricity sector, Northpower’s history and current business set up, safety, subcontractor management, employee recognition, along with management of electricity peaks and troughs.

BPC’s Mr Noboru Seki, Project Leader, JICA Team, says the Northpower visit has been invaluable to the company.

“We are extremely grateful to Northpower for hosting us and their great hospitality in New Zealand,” says Mr Noboru Seki.

“We have learned so much and have so much to take back to our country. We are especially impressed with the ‘values’ that Northpower carries and works with.”

ENDS

*About Northpower Limited
Northpower is a Northland owned electricity distribution company with 54, 900 electricity consumers connected to its network over an area of 5,700 square kilometres across the Whangarei and Kaipara Districts in Northland. Northpower Contracting, a division of Northpower, is a leading supplier of electricity distribution network design, maintenance and construction services with branches across New Zealand’s North Island and in Perth, Western Australia. www.northpower.com

*About Bhutan Power Corporation Limited
Bhutan Power Corporation Limited was launched as a public utility in 2002 with the mandate of distributing electricity throughout Bhutan and also providing transmission access for generating stations for domestic supply and export. One of BPC’s basic mandates is to ensure electricity is available to all Bhutanese citizens and that it is also reliable, adequate and, above all, within the means of all consumers. BPC is the largest corporation in the Kingdom of Bhutan and employs over 2000 people. For economic growth to take place sufficient supply of electricity is an important prerequisite and BCP’s mandate provides a direct link to achieving the national goal of Gross National Happiness. www.bpc.bt

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