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throughout lockdown to keep the lights on and energy flowing for our customers. The future of gas In recent years, industries and governments both in New Zealand and globally have taken a growing interest in the role hydrogen technologies could play in the decarbonisation of our energy systems. However, our focus remains on investing in the gas distribution business to ensure the network can grow in line with Auckland while surpassing expectations around safety and network quality. Vegetation management Trees falling into powerlines during high winds continues to be one of the leading causes of power outages that disrupt our customers. Improving vegetation management is key to strengthening network resilience and reliability – and is an area where partnership with our customers and community stakeholders is critical. Increasingly volatile weather systems, together with Auckland’s sub-tropical climate, mean regulations concerning vegetation management need to change. We are working urgently with Auckland Council to address this challenge. Key to this is advocating for improved risk management measures - including greater clarity around cutting and trimming responsibilities - to reduce the network events that cause disruption to customers.
Waiheke’s goal to become a fully electrified island In August 2019, Vector was awarded funding from the Government’s Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund (LEVCF), administered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), to install and manage at least 80 electric vehicle (EV) 7.2kW smart chargers in homes across Waiheke Island, along with ten 7.2kW public EV chargers and one mobile EV charger. The funding will see us put in place the technology needed to support Waiheke’s goal to become fully electrified. The technology includes network-ready EV chargers and public charging infrastructure as well as smart EV charging systems that will enhance network resilience and avoid the need for costly traditional network infrastructure. With the numbers of EVs on the island doubling year-on-year, this new technology will better manage the expected surges in network demand from increased EV uptake. The new chargers will connect to Vector’s intelligent utility networking system of systems, known as DERMS (Distributed Energy Resource Management System), which the company has co-developed to help manage and optimise the growth in solar, battery, EVs and other distributed energy sources and network connected devices. Evolution and innovation of work practices Over the last 12 months, we have invested in new equipment including bypass cables that enable work to be performed on de-energised assets while the power remains on for customers. To integrate bypass cable technology into our approach to managing the network, we spent time in South Korea learning the skills and capabilities to bring back to New Zealand and up- skill our workforce. The first deployment of this new technology on Auckland’s electricity network occurred in December 2019 in Tapora. Many in the community would not have been aware of the maintenance work underway because the bypass cable technology keeps the power on while the work is being done.
3,201 NEWGAS CONNECTIONS
$ 6.1 M PERWEEK INVESTED TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY, RELIABILITY AND RESILIENCE OF OUR GAS AND ELECTRICITY NETWORKS AND TO FACILITATE AUCKLAND’S CONTINUED GROWTH
REGULATED NETWORKS
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