Search

Premium Membership ♕

Limited Time Offer: Save 15% on PRO Plan with discount code: LRN15 and study specialized LV/MV/HV technical articles and studies.

Home / Technical Articles / An overview of the transmission and distribution network of New Zealand
Transmission network of New Zealand
Figure 1 - Transmission network of New Zealand

Transmission

The national grid has approximately 12,000 km of high voltage transmission lines. Most of the grid operates on alternating current (the HVAC system), although there is a direct current (HVDC) link for long distance transfer of power between Benmore in the lower South Island and Haywards near Wellington.

The HVDC link includes the set of cables running under Cook Strait, and is sometimes referred to as the ‘Cook Strait cable’.

Figure 1 above displays the New Zealand Transmission Network. The national grid transports electricity from over 50 power stations, and connects with distribution networks or major industrial users at around 200 grid exit points (GXPs) around New Zealand.

Because of New Zealand’s geography, the transmission grid comprises a long trunk with smaller side branches serving areas such Westland and the Hawkes Bay. This structure means that there are few alternate paths for electricity to flow from source to destination, in contrast to many overseas power systems, which provide multiple paths between generators and demand centres.

This characteristic can be particularly important when a transmission line outage occurs.

Another effect of New Zealand’s geography is that there are often long distances between generation and the main demand centres – especially for hydro generation in the South Island. This results in higher electrical losses on transmission lines.

Losses, which average about 3 percent (but can be as much as 7 percent) of power transmitted, occur because transmission lines have resistance, causing some energy to be lost as heat. As a remote island nation, New Zealand cannot import electricity from or export electricity to other countries, so must be entirely self-sufficient in meeting its needs. In contrast, many other countries that are interconnected to other nations can import power if needed, such as in the event of a dry hydro situation.

They may also export power, such as when there is excess hydro or wind generation available which may otherwise be wasted

Electricity ndustry of New Zealand
Electricity ndustry of New Zealand (source: med.govt.nz)

Distribution

There are two types of distribution networks, local networks that are connected to the grid, and secondary networks, such as within a large shopping mall that are connected to a local network.

Distribution networks transport power to consumers through a network of overhead wires and underground cables (generically referred to as lines). In total, there are over 150,000 km of distribution lines in New Zealand.

The distribution networks also include substations which convert electricity to lower voltages.

Almost all consumer premises in New Zealand are connected to a distribution network. There are also some generators, known as embedded generators, which are linked directly to distribution networks.


Retailers

Retailers buy electricity at connection points to the grid and on-sell it to consumers at individual customer connection points.

The retailer is responsible for the installation of appropriate metering, meter reading, billing and payment collection. The retailer pays distribution companies for distribution service (which includes transmission charges paid by distributors to Transpower), and also buys electricity from the wholesale electricity market.

In most cases, the consumer is billed only by the retailer.


Electricity consumers

Electricity consumers range from large industrial sites down to individual households. Total electricity consumption in New Zealand is about 40,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) per annum.

Electricity consumption has increased at approximately 2 percent each year in recent years and is strongly related to economic growth and population size.

Demand for electricity varies from moment to moment and supply must change to meet changes in demand.

Consumption follows strong daily and seasonal patterns. At low demand times such as a summer night, total demand may be as low as 2,600 MW, whereas at peak times (winter evenings) it can exceed 6,500 MW. While electricity use has historically been highest on cold winter evenings, some regions now have a summertime
peak demand as a result of increasing use of farm irrigation and domestic air-conditioning.

Figure 2 shows a ‘typical’ demand profile for a domestic consumer for a 24-hour period during winter.

Typical residential daily demand profile
Figure 2 - Typical residential daily demand profile

Residential users make up about one-third of total consumption, with the majority of residential demand being for water heating, space heating and lighting as shown in Figure 3.

Technological progress has an impact on electricity consumption as well as generation. There has been growth in electricity-using technologies over time such as computers and air-conditioning, but there have also been improvements in efficiency.


Residential electricity use

Percentage of residential energy consumption by end-use

Percentage of residential energy consumption by end-use
Percentage of residential energy consumption by end-use

For example, modern electric lighting, heating appliances and motors are significantly more efficient than their predecessors.

Improved electricity efficiency is expected to play an increasingly important role in future security of supply and achieving sustainability objectives.

Reference: Electricity Commission – Electricity Commission Te Komihana Hiko (www.electricitycommission.govt.nz)

Premium Membership

Get access to premium HV/MV/LV technical articles, electrical engineering guides, research studies and much more! It helps you to shape up your technical skills in your everyday life as an electrical engineer.
More Information
author-pic

Edvard Csanyi

Electrical engineer, programmer and founder of EEP. Highly specialized for design of LV/MV switchgears and LV high power busbar trunking (<6300A) in power substations, commercial buildings and industry facilities. Professional in AutoCAD programming.

2 Comments


  1. James Duckwith
    Feb 02, 2020

    H i there my names Jimmy, 33yr old linesman form Yorkshire,UK.
    I am just wondering if anybody could help me with any contacts to approach distribution companies and express an interest in immigrating to New Zealand from the UK.
    Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.
    Many thanks in advance,
    Regards Jimmy


  2. Jason BRAID
    Mar 08, 2019

    Kia ora,
    As part of my engineering degree study, I am doing a research project on the viability of electrical energy storage in NZ.
    I am finding it difficult to locate reliable data on the overall efficiency of a super-capacitor system which would include losses due to leakage, heat and losses converting AC-DC, then back again.
    Do you have time to direct me to a reliable source that is understandable to a first year student with limited technical knowledge?

    Kind Regards
    Jason Braid

Leave a Comment

Tell us what you're thinking. We care about your opinion! Please keep in mind that comments are moderated and rel="nofollow" is in use. So, please do not use a spammy keyword or a domain as your name, or it will be deleted. Let's have a professional and meaningful conversation instead. Thanks for dropping by!

one  ×    =  one

Learn How to Design Power Systems

Learn to design LV/MV/HV power systems through professional video courses. Lifetime access. Enjoy learning!

Subscribe to Weekly Newsletter

Subscribe to our Weekly Digest newsletter and receive free updates on new technical articles, video courses and guides (PDF).
EEP Academy Courses - A hand crafted cutting-edge electrical engineering knowledge