Repairs to New Zealand's largest hydro station are underway with the first of three new giant transformers being especially delivered to the Manapouri Power Station.
And when it was clear replacement parts were needed, Meridian Energy knew there was only one way to bring in the transformers.
"We're logistically a difficult place to get in to - we have to line up a lot of different contractors with a lot of different skills, so it's no simple task; it's not as if we are just down the road," says Manapouri site manager John Twidle.
Opting for method tried and tested, the Melbourne-produced replacements followed the route original transformers took in the 1960s - trucked to Brisbane then shipped via Bluff to Deep Cove in Doubtful Sound.
"We're talking about $3 million per transformer, once they're delivered and installed," says Mr Twidle.
The challenges continue long after the ship docks - the most arduous leg of the journey getting from Deep Cove to the underground power station on a challenging stretch of gravel road.
"Some of the inclines on the road are in the order of one in five, so that's very steep, and this is a 100-tonne-plus transformer with a significant load underneath the transformer. All up, it's somewhere in the order of 180-odd tonnes that we're hauling up over that road," says Mr Twidle.
Two movers dragged and another pushed from behind as the first load made its way through the Wilmot Pass to the station, housed in a cavern excavated from rock 200 metres below the surface of Lake Manapouri.
"We've had a few problems with the weather and with the ship getting here, but finally it's coming down the tunnel," says project manager Colin Carter.
And that's not bad going for the heavy load - especially given the new transformers were only ordered 14 weeks ago.
3 News
source: newshub archive
