Key people David Dew (Chair) Revenue 48 million USD (Group) Number of employees 129 | Headquarters Blenheim Founded 1923 | |
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Industry Electricity distribution Predecessor Marlborough Electric Power Board Parent Marlborough Electric Power Trust Website www.marlboroughlines.co.nz/Home Subsidiaries Southern Lines Limited, Nelson Electricity Limited, Yealands Estate Limited | ||
Marlborough Lines Limited (Marlborough Lines) is an electricity distribution company, based in Blenheim, New Zealand.
Contents
Marlborough Lines is responsible for subtransmission and distribution of electricity to more than 24,000 customer network connections in the Marlborough Region over a service area of 11,330 km2. The network includes more than 3,300 km of power lines extending to some very isolated areas across the region, including the extremities of the Marlborough Sounds, which can only be reached by boat or helicopter.
Ownership
The company is 100% owned by the Marlborough Electric Power Trust.
The company operates a contracting division, Marlborough Lines Contracting, which specialises in substation and line construction, cable installation, and the maintenance and operation of generation and electricity networks.
Marlborough Lines also owns 51% of the network joint venture OtagoNet, which distributes electricity in the coastal Otago region (excluding Dunedin city and Mosgiel), and a 50% share of Nelson Electricity, the distribution company that serves Nelson city.
In 2010, Marlborough Lines obtained a shareholding in listed electricity distribution business Horizon Energy Distribution Limited. Marlborough Lines obtained a 13.89% shareholding in the Eastern Bay of Plenty EDB.
History
The history of Marlborough Lines dates back to 1917. The main predecessor organisation was the Marlborough Electric Power Board.
The Marlborough Lines network originally began as three historically distinct networks:
In 1992, the passing of the Energy Companies Act required that the various franchised electricity distribution and retailing organisations then operating in New Zealand become commercial power companies with a responsibility to operate as a successful business and have regard to the efficient utilisation of energy. The Marlborough Electric Power Board then became Marlborough Electric - one of 35 integrated electricity businesses around New Zealand. At that time Marlborough Electric was one of a small number of electricity companies who also operated their own generation business, and produced some 26% of Marlborough's electricity requirement.
The Electricity Industry Reform Act was passed in 1998, and this required that all electricity companies be split into either the lines (network) business or the supply business (generating and/or selling electricity) by 1 April 1999. The generation and retail businesses of Marlborough Electric were sold to TrustPower, and from April 1999 Marlborough Lines was established to focus on the operation and maintenance of the distribution lines network.
Grid connection
The Marlborough Lines network connects to the national grid via Transpower's 110/33 kV Blenheim substation, located on Old Renwick Road in Springlands, Blenheim. (41.49873°S 173.93252°E / -41.49873; 173.93252 (Transpower Blenheim substation)) The Blenheim substation is supplied by three separate Transpower 110 kV circuits, one from Kikiwa (around 10 km north of Saint Arnaud) and two from Stoke.
Heritage Diesel Generators
The Marlborough region wasn't connected to the national grid until after the Second World War, firstly in 1948 to Nelson and the Cobb Power Station, and later in 1955 to the rest of the South Island. The supply of electricity to Marlborough was initially dependent on a small hydro station at Waihopai. In 1930, a diesel generator was established at Springlands in Blenheim to provide backup power when hydrogeneration was not available. A further generator set was installed in 1937. After Marlborough was connected to the national grid, the generators need was greatly reduced and were relegated to reserve use. They were last used for generation on 22 June 1992, during that year's nationwide power shortages. These generators have been preserved by Marlborough Lines as part of the engineering heritage of electricity supply in the region.