Substation foundations under way

The Smith St substation (right) has been demolished and work has begun on the foundations for its replacement.

The work is being done to future-proof the network and strengthen the electricity supply for 2800 customers in the Dunedin Central and Roslyn areas.

This project also involves replacing the ageing equipment and switchroom.

It follows on from the Smith St to Willowbank cable intertie project, which took place from mid-2023 to mid-2024, when 2.5km of ducting was installed to prepare for the hauling of a new 33kV underground electricity cable across central Dunedin early next year.

The cable will run from the Smith St substation towards North Dunedin, to the Willowbank substation in Great King St, and will form part of a ring network to improve the security of electricity supply for 5900 customers.

The Smith St substation part of the project is expected to be completed in mid-2025.