Almost 14,000 homes and businesses in Gympie, Southeast Queensland. Australia, are set to benefit from an $18 million ENERGEX project to upgrade the electricity supply in the region. Construction is scheduled to commence in October to build a new substation in Gympie North to meet the increasing electricity needs of residents and businesses in the area.

Additionally, two new 33-kV overhead powerlines and underground power cables will link the new substation with the existing substation in the area and a new 11-kV powerline will be constructed from the new substation.

ENERGEX Works Group Manager, Kevin Ball, said the new substation and powerlines were needed to meet the growing demand for power in the area. “The area around Gympie has seen significant growth in the past few years, largely caused by the increased uptake of energy hungry appliances such as air conditioners, and commercial developments in the area,” he said.

“The upward trend of electricity use is set to continue as the area grows, and the new substation and powerlines in Gympie will ensure we can continue to provide a reliable electricity supply in the area without putting undue pressure on Gympie’s existing substation.”

The upgrade follows last year’s opening of a new ENERGEX Gympie depot last year, which is used as a base for general maintenance of the Gympie electricity network and provides ENERGEX rapid response crews a larger base from which to restore power after wild weather.

The project is part of a record $4 billion-plus five-year capital expenditure program currently being undertaken by ENERGEX.

In the 2009-10 financial year ENERGEX is investing around $940 million on upgrades to its electricity network while a further $360 million-plus has been set aside to maintain and operate the network – that’s an overall average of more than $3 million a day.