ENERGEX, Queensland, Australia, is set to begin a multi-stage upgrade of the company’s Spring Hill substation to improve the supply of electricity to around 2,000 customers in Spring Hill, Petrie Terrace and the corridor between the CBD and Fortitude Valley.

The $20 million-plus upgrade will include the installation of new, higher performing equipment, reconfiguring the underground electricity network, and updating the 1960s Astor Terrace building to a more contemporary design.

ENERGEX’s Asset Manager David Wise said the substation upgrade was designed to meet the increasing demand for electricity in the area and to replace ageing substation equipment. “Ongoing commercial and residential growth, combined with the rapid uptake of power hungry appliances such as air conditioners, have seen demand for electricity around Spring Hill and the Valley rise steadily over the past few years,” Wise said.

“This increase in energy use – especially at peak times – is forecast to continue. The Astor Terrace Substation upgrade will ensure we continue to deliver a safe and reliable electricity supply to the area now and in the future.”

Work is expected to commence in January 2012 and, weather permitting, will progress in a number of stages in the coming years with a final completion in 2015. Due to the substation’s inner city location a combination of daytime and night-time works will be undertaken.

The project is part of a record $5 billion-plus, five-year capital expenditure program being undertaken by ENERGEX. In the 2011-12 financial year, ENERGEX – South East Queensland’s electricity distributor, is investing around $1.11 billion on upgrades to its electricity network, while a further $331 million-plus has been set aside to maintain and operate the network – that’s an overall average of almost $4 million per day.