Keeping Eltham powered

Monday, July 31, 2023

If you were on the road between Whanganui and South Taranaki during September 2022, you might have spotted our mobile substation on the move.

After keeping our customers’ power on while we worked in the Whanganui area, the mobile sub took to the road and headed north to support customers connected to the Eltham substation.

The mobile sub is taking over the work of the Eltham substation while it is being upgraded – meaning the power can keep flowing to our customers, including major commercial customer Fonterra’s cheese factory, without the need for planned outages.

Work at the Eltham substation includes replacing the two existing 10MVA transformers with two new 17MVA transformers, to improve the quality of the power supply and allow for growth in the South Taranaki community.

A much smaller version of an electricity substation on wheels that can be transported around.

  • Mobile substation at Douglas Substation Taranaki.
    Project update

    Watch how it works

    Thursday, August 22, 2024
    Take a tour of the mobile substation with Powerco's Mike Carson while it was on the job in Douglas, eastern Taranaki.
    View more
  • Mobile substation outside Mitre 10 Mega Whanganui
    Project update

    Whanganui benefits from mobile substation

    Thursday, June 30, 2022
    Our Whanganui customers have been the latest to benefit from our mobile substation, which keeps customers' power on while we work.
    View more
  • Mobile substation at Douglas Substation Taranaki.
    Project update

    Keeping rural Taranaki connected

    Wednesday, March 31, 2021
    Taranaki communities in and around Douglas and Pātea have been the first to benefit from the mobile substation.
    View more
  • Project update

    Mobile substation on the move

    Wednesday, June 10, 2020
    View more