Hobson Zone Substation Switchboard Upgrade
Location: Auckland CBD
Start date: August 2022
Completion date: October 2023
Key people involved: Parth Kantharia, Johnny Tupuhi, Aiyaz Mohammed, Priviledge Choruwa, Krishneel Chand, Ale Amosa, Anjay Narayan, Wei Jin, Kevin Zhang
Project partners: Vector Ltd
Our challenge
The Hobson Zone Substation 11kV Switchgear Upgrade project was undertaken by our capital zone substation team for our customer Vector in 2023, to enhance the operational safety and reliability of the substation. The project involved the replacement of ageing switchgear and the upgrade of existing infrastructure to comply with latest standards.
The replacement of the old Brush switchboard was carried out in two stages, involving decommissioning and removal of obsolete panels. The outdated 11kV Brush switchgear, manufactured in 1969, was replaced with Vector standard RPS single bus LMVP 11kV switchgear. Alongside these replacements, Reyrolle switchgear underwent refurbishment to comply with updated standards and new Reyrolle LMVP single bus switchgear panels were installed to replace the old equipment.
What was involved?
- Replacement of 11kV Brush switchgear
- Upgrade of 11kV Reyrolle switchgear
- Decommissioning and removal of obsolete switchgear panels
- Installation of new Vector standard RPS single bus LMVP 11kV switchgear
- Refurbishment of existing Reyrolle switchgear to comply with updated standards
- Feeder cable changeovers and jointing works
- Compliance with Vector quality and safety standards.
Ensuring quality
A major milestone was reached in mid-October 2023 with the commissioning of the new 11kV switchboard (K10 – K14). Working within the challenges of confined spaces and strict competency requirements, our team then successfully completed all feeder cable changeovers inside the Swanson tunnel without incidents, adhering to Vector’s quality standards.
The project was successfully completed in October 2023, with our Northpower team putting a strong focus on ensuring all Vector’s quality and safety standards were met.
The Hobson Zone Substation Switchboard Upgrade project was a great achievement for our Auckland contracting team, who effectively managed the complex infrastructure upgrades on time and on budget. The upgrade ensures continued safety, reliability, and efficiency of operations for years to come.