The first of three submarine power cables that will future-proof the Otago Peninsula’s power supply have been laid across the floor of the Otago Harbour.
A cable laid yesterday is one of two new 1.8km, 11kV cables that will run between Port Chalmers and Portobello.
A third 400m 400V cable will also be laid between Portobello and Quarantine Island.
Project manager Ben Bulling, from ABA Project Management, said the work, part of Aurora Energy’s Otago Harbour Crossing Project, would provide the Otago Peninsula with increased power capacity and reliability.
Two of the new cables would run from Back Beach, at Port Chalmers, to near the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre just north of Portobello. The third would run from there to Quarantine Island.
All three of the new cables would be laid in the harbour by the end of tomorrow, but would not be active until the end of June, Mr Bulling said.
The enabling work that was required to lay the cables, such as digging trenches, started late last year.
The specially designed barge, Patiki, from Wellington, then dropped the cables on to the surface of the harbour floor.
Over time, the cables would sink and eventually be covered completely, which allowed the surrounding environment to adapt, he said.
The existing submarine cable was nearing the end of its usable life, but would continue to run alongside the new cables until it began to wear out.
Removing the overhead cables would make it easier for Otago Regional Rescue Helicopters to navigate the area, stop birds from striking the lines, and make the area look more natural.
There were plans to plant native trees where the pylons stood once they were removed, Mr Bulling said.
