Brisbane, Australia-based utility Energex has revealed plans to carry out a number of power supply upgrades across its domestic market. The company is embarking on a A$930,000 upgrade in Mudgeeraba, a A$4.7 million upgrade at its Burleigh Heads substation and a A$6 million upgrade at its Kenmore substation.
Energex said that the Mudgeeraba upgrade will benefit more than 1,600 homes and businesses in the Gold Coast area and will involve the installation of 11,000V, 2.9km underground cable between the company’s existing substation and its existing power network to meet rapid growth in electricity use in the area.
Energex added that the A$4.7 million upgrade at its Burleigh Heads substation will benefit more than 20,000 homes and businesses on the Gold Coast. The upgrade involves the installation of a new 60MVA transformer at the substation, which Energex said will effectively double the electricity capacity available for distribution.
Energex commented that the Burleigh Heads upgrade is designed to cater for increased electricity demand in the area, which the company forecast will increase at around 7% per year. In addition, the upgrade will enable technicians to restore power faster after unexpected network damage.
Meanwhile, the A$6 million Kenmore substation and local network improvements will benefit more than 8,300 homes and businesses on Brisbane’s western suburbs, Energex said. A new 25MVA transformer has been commissioned at the substation, significantly enhancing available capacity for electricity supplies to the local community to cater for growing demand.
Energex said that these upgrades form part of a record A$3 billion-plus five-year capital expenditure program currently being undertaken by the company. In the 2006/07 financial year, Energex is spending A$643 million on the electricity network, while a further A$263 million has been committed to maintenance and operation of the network.