Your Network

Electricity Ashburton Distribution

The Network Area

Electricity Ashburton is directly responsible for electricity distribution to an area of approximately 3,500km². The Rangitata River in the south, the Rakaia River in the north and the foothills of the Southern Alps in the west border the service area. A total of three lines run up river gorges into the foothills.

Network Overview

The network has one control room and electricity distribution network comprising of:

29,065 poles
2,341km of high voltage overhead lines
124km of high voltage underground cable
22 zone substations and switchyards
5,066 distribution substations

There are two hydro generating stations embedded in the network. Montalto generates 1.6 MW and Highbank 26 MW.

Network Capacity

Electricity Ashburton's distribution lines have a variety of different capacities, dependent upon local demands and geographical considerations. Operating voltages include 66kV (66,000 volts), 33kV, 22kV, 11kV and 400V.

Rural Network Capacity

The rural distribution network configuration is predominantly long radial overhead feeders. The network does have some interconnection to adjacent feeders and substations.

This arrangement is largely driven by economics and is the method of supplying rural consumers that offers best value at acceptable levels of reliability.

Typically, the capacity of a rural feeder is limited by voltage drop and not the thermal rating of the conductors.

Urban Network Capacity

The urban 11kV distribution network is based upon a similar principle to the rural arrangement however the network is largely underground cable, the interconnections are more frequent, and the overall feeder lengths are significantly shorter.

Generally the capacity of urban feeders is thermally constrained by the maximum current rating of the underground cable.