In today’s rapidly changing world, reliable electricity is essential for communities to thrive. Unison is dedicated to fostering growth in our regions by providing a resilient electricity network while also supporting decarbonisation efforts in Rotorua, Taupō, and Hawke’s Bay.
Our 10-year Asset Management Plan is a comprehensive blueprint designed to achieve this goal, ensuring that our electricity infrastructure can meet future demands while promoting resilience and sustainable practices.
We invite all customers and community members to explore the 10-year plan to learn more beyond this introduction. A summary of the plan, along with a survey to collect community feedback, is available on the Unison website now. We encourage everyone to participate and share their thoughts to help shape our future initiatives.
In August, we will host regional community events to present our 10-year plans in person. These events will provide an opportunity for us to connect with the community and discuss the initiatives and factors that shape our plans in each region. Your feedback is crucial in ensuring that our plans align with community needs and expectations.
Unison’s 10-year plan is designed to future-proof our electricity networks. Based on thorough analysis and customer engagement, it focuses on three key areas: network resilience, enabling decarbonisation, and supporting future growth. The plan’s key components include upgrading our network – e.g. substations to increase capacity, incorporating smart grid technologies for better management and monitoring, and helping industrial customers transition to decarbonised solutions to support New Zealand’s net zero carbon target by 2050. Additionally, the plan aims to improve connectivity processes and make it easy to onboard new connections, including solar integration and EV charging, as consumer lifestyles continue to evolve.
Our regions are experiencing significant growth due to the decarbonisation of industrial processes (usually involving processes that require gas switching over to electricity), as well as new residential and commercial developments. Hawke’s Bay is set to see substantial residential growth with major subdivisions planned in Havelock North and Napier. Unison’s plan will ensure our electricity network can support this growth and the transition to decarbonised energy solutions.
Current forecasts show New Zealand is projected to have 4.3 million electric vehicles (EVs) by 2050, our infrastructure investments are geared towards accommodating trends in changing usage like this. We are committed to facilitating easy connections for solar panels and EV chargers, helping to make sustainable energy options more accessible.
Resilience is crucial for a reliable electricity supply and is central to Unison’s approach. It is a key part of our maintenance and renewal program, ensuring that our network remains robust and adaptable. This involves balancing risk reduction with rapid response times while maintaining affordability for our customers.
Our strategy focuses on building resilience to withstand typical operation and harsh conditions, but without over-investing unnecessarily. A recent example of this being applied is after Cyclone Gabrielle, we adapted and improved our substation design standards based on the lessons learned from the cyclone’s impact. These enhancements ensure that future substation rebuilds, and new constructions benefit from this improved design method, increasing overall network resilience.
Sustainability also underpins everything we do, shaping our design philosophy and driving our decisions. When the Windsor Substation in Hastings reached the end of its life, we chose to rebuild it in the most sustainable manner possible. Windsor became an award-winning example of a successful application of sustainable principles and is now influencing the design of our future substation rebuilds, starting with Camberley in Hastings, which is already underway. We have also made the plans available online so others can benefit from the sustainable choices we made during its construction. This commitment to sustainability ensures that our projects not only meet current needs but also contribute positively to the environment and community.
Growth is happening in several areas of Hawke’s Bay, with new homes and businesses being built. To support this growth, we are upgrading the Arataki and Havelock North cables and rebuilding several substations in the region. These upgrades are essential to keep our network strong and reliable, ready to handle both current needs and future challenges.
Advanced technology and data analysis are becoming increasingly important for managing the network. Our systems are now more advanced, automating manual tasks and speeding up responses to outages. These improvements can also help us predict and prevent issues before they happen. And as more people switch to solar power, home batteries, and electric vehicles, we can closely monitor performance to ensure our network remains reliable, optimised, and safe for all customers.
But technology isn’t the only component required for a strong network – Unison relies on a skilled workforce of specially trained individuals to build and maintain the systems and lines that form our network. However, labour shortages are an ongoing challenge in our industry across the globe and throughout New Zealand. To help address this, we have a focus on attracting, recruiting, and retaining the right people. We are investing in training and development programs to ensure we have a skilled workforce ready to meet the needs of future growth and network maintenance.
We understand the importance of cost management. Our plan is designed to ensure that investments are prudent, providing the best value for our customers without compromising on quality or reliability. Over the next decade, we will invest substantial amounts in our regions to maintain and enhance the network: $750M in Hawke’s Bay, $575M in Taupō and Rotorua. These essential investments are crucial for creating a sustainable and resilient electricity network while ensuring affordability and accessibility for each of our 118,000 customers.
Unison’s vision is to enable our communities’ sustainable energy future. Our 10-year plan is a testament to this commitment, balancing network resilience, growth and supporting decarbonisation to benefit all our communities. By making careful and informed choices, we help our customers receive reliable electricity without overpaying.
We look forward to connecting and hearing your thoughts at the upcoming community meetings in August. Together, we can power thriving regions.
The Hawke’s Bay Community meeting about the 10-year plan will be held in Hastings. Thursday 15 August, 5:30 – 6:30pm, Te Rae, 101 Queen St East, Hastings.
The summarised plan is available on the Unison website here: https://www.unison.co.nz/tell-me-about/unison-group/publications-disclosures/asset-management-plan/
Gaganpreet Chadha, Unison Networks GM Networks & Operations
BayBuzz energy and climate reporting is sponsored by Unison in support of independent local journalism.
