Hawera substation upgrade
We’re upgrading the Hāwera substation, near the intersection of Ohangai and Ararata roads, to ensure the community’s power supply remains reliable now and into the future and enables future growth of the area.
The $9 million upgrade project involves:
- Building a new, two-roomed concrete switchroom.
- Undergrounding a cable from the substation to power poles on the intersection of Ohangai and Ararata roads.
- Removing old outdoor equipment.
- Reinstating fences and planting.
The two-room design of the swtichroom will help prevent the risk of a total loss of power supply to our customers in the event of fire, while housing switchgear inside will minimise the risk of damage or disruption caused by external factors, such as weather.
We’re working with Omexom, Connell Contractors and Empowerx on the project, which began in January 2024 and is expected to be completed by March 2025.
Traffic management
Traffic management will be in place for periods of time between August 2024 and March 2025 during the installation of an underground cable from the swtichroom to power poles on the intersection of Ohangai and Ararata roads.
There will be road closures on Ararata and Ohangai roads on the following dates:
- Ararata Road 11,12 and 13 February
- Ohangai Road 19 and 20 February
Our contractors, Connell Contractors, will be using heavy equipment and working at night to minimise disruptions to residents and road users and get the work completed quickly and safely.
Prior to any work taking place our contractors will let residents know as the equipment they use can be noisy.
Power outages
There are six planned outages scheduled in early 2025 to allow our people to work safely. Affected customers will receive information from their electricity retailer (the company they pay their power bill to) of any planned outages. People can also check for planned outages nearer the time here on our website.