Maungatapere to Kensington 110KV Tower Refurbishment
Location: Maungatapere to Kensington, Whangarei
Investment: $4 million
Start date: August 2025
End date: March 2026
Maintaining reliability for Whangārei’s electricity supply
The 110 kV power line from the Maungatapere grid exit point to the Kensington substation is the main supply route that delivers electricity to half of Northpower’s network, including Whangārei city. We’ve launched a significant $4 million refurbishment program on this line and the towers that carry it across the Western Hills, enhancing reliability, resilience, and appearance for the long term.
There are 36 towers along the line will that receive important mechanical and structural maintenance. There are only the two most recently installed towers (including the monopole structure installed in 2024) along the line that are not being included in the work programme.
Working with our Northpower whanau and property owners
This marks the first time we’ve used Northpower Energy Services Tower Refurbishment team to undertake the specialised tower painting. These competent and well trained expert crews are coming up from Paraparaumu on the Kapiti Coast to work alongside our local crews.
We are working with local landowners along the route where we need access to the towers and will make sure close neighbours to the work are well informed as to what is happening near them.
We are working closely with the Whangarei District Council and Northland Regional Council to gain the necessary consents for this work, making sure it complies with all their regulations, and any environmental impact is minimised.
Scope of work
The program kicks off with line maintenance from 19 August to 28 August 2025, followed by tower refurbishment of the 36 towers starting on 27 August and running for 10 weeks.
The tower refurbishment work includes washing and blasting the towers before applying new coats of zinc rich primer and vinyl based paint, with the final colour being ‘transmission grey’. This helps to protect the steel structures from corrosion.
During this process, we use geo matting at the base of the tower to collect most of the residue. The small amount of residue not collected is safe as it is made up of naturally occurring compounds which are non-toxic.
There will be work on the tower foundations, including removing bolts from the tower’s feet to allow for cleaning before the feet are replaced. Rest assured, this is done by Northpower’s own trained teams under supervision.
Delivering reliability with care
This tower refurbishment and high voltage line maintenance project is about securing Whangārei’s electricity future. This significant investment in our electricity infrastructure ensures consistent, reliable power delivery for decades to come.
It is another example of our proactive investment in infrastructure that powers our growing communities.
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