Supplier signed up for $450m Cook Strait cable replacement

Supplier signed up for $450m Cook Strait cable replacement
The so-called Cook Strait cable begins at Lake Benmore. (Image: NZME)
Ian Llewellyn
Transpower has signed up global cable solutions supplier Prysmian for the $450 million job replacing the high voltage direct current submarine electricity cables linking the North and South Islands.The HVDC link, commonly referred to as the Cook Strait cable, is expected to come to the end of its expected 40-year life in 2032.The cable is a vital link in the electricity system, transferring as much as 15% of New Zealand’s power between the two islands.Its role is particularly vital in getting electricity from the southern hydro lakes to h...