27 May 2022
Transpower today announced the outcome of a procurement process for new grid service contracts that provide fault response, maintenance and build services for the National Grid.
The new Regional Service Contracts (RSCs) cover transmission lines and substations work within six new contract areas around the country. The successful bidders for the RSCs are Downer, Electrix, Northpower and Ventia.
Ten Specialist Service Contracts (SSCs) were awarded covering services relating to high voltage cables, telecommunications and other assets such as the High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC). The successful bidders for the SSCs were Electrix, Northpower, PBA and Ventia.
In addition, Downer, Electrix, ElectroNet, Northpower, PBA and Ventia have been appointed as members of contestable work panels which will be used for major grid investment projects that sit outside the grid service contracts.
Transpower General Manager, Grid Delivery, Mark Ryall said the new contract arrangements provide a solid platform for Transpower and its community of service providers as they work together to service New Zealand’s transmission needs today and as we move to a highly electrified future.
“The National Grid plays an essential role in New Zealand’s decarbonisation and the electrification of our economy, and these contracts are a critical part of ensuring we meet the growing demand for work on the Grid with a sustainable, thriving transmission sector.”
“Transpower’s aim throughout this procurement process was to select a community of service providers that would deliver the best overall outcome for New Zealand’s transmission system. We also aimed to provide long-term sustainable contracts for service providers and ensure the development and retention of the highly skilled workforce needed to continue to meet the electricity needs of New Zealanders into the future. This included reducing 22 contract areas down to six to provide longer-term commercial viability for service providers.”
“With these contracts, we are future-proofing the delivery of work on the Grid and supporting our service providers to invest in their workforce so that they can develop and retain specialist talent in New Zealand, keep driving our shared priority to deliver the highest possible levels of safety, foster innovation, and continue to deliver excellent service levels,” says Mr Ryall.
“We look forward to working together with our community of service providers to deliver more than $2 billion worth of forecast expenditure on the National Grid in the next decade. We’re entering an exciting and busy period of work that will ensure our critical infrastructure meets New Zealand needs for the future,” Mr Ryall said.
The new contracts come into effect on 29 August 2022.
Regional Service Contracts (RSCs):
For grid maintenance, station operating services, fault call out response and smaller project works for lines and substation assets in a geographic region.
- RSC1 and RSC6 awarded to Electrix
- RSC2 awarded to Northpower
- RSC3 awarded to Downer
- RSC4 and RSC5 awarded to Ventia.
Specialist Service Contracts (SSCs):
- SSC Emergency Structures – North Island awarded to Electrix
- SSC Emergency Structures – South Island awarded to Ventia
- SSC Mobile Substation awarded to Ventia
- SSC Revenue Metering awarded to Electrix
- SSC High Voltage (HV) Cables awarded to Northpower
- SSC High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Benmore awarded to Electrix
- SSC High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Haywards awarded to Ventia
- SSC Telecommunications awarded to Ventia
- SSC RPAS Panel awarded to Northpower and Ventia
- SSC Transformers Panel awarded to Electrix, PBA and Ventia
Contestable Work Panels (CWPs):
- Substation CWP - Downer, Electrix, Northpower, Ventia, ElectroNet and PBA
- General Lines CWP - Downer, Electrix, Northpower, Ventia and ElectroNet
- Heavy Wiring CWP - Electrix and Ventia
Video: Future-proofing our Grid Services
For media enquiries, please contact:
Rachael Drummond, Senior Corporate Communications Advisor, 021 394 803.