Work on a $23 million project that will boost capacity to the southern end of the Capricorn Coast has started according to Ergon’s Acting General Manager Operations Stephen Simpson. The local construction company J M Kelly has started work on the project.

“The project involves site works on the Ergon Energy owned property at Post Office Road, Tanby, construction of a substation control building and the installation of the first of two 20-MVA transformers along with the construction of four outgoing high voltage distribution feeders.” Simpson said planning of this substation had been in the pipeline for a number of years and its construction was in direct response to the significant level of development and load growth being experienced on the Coast.

“We also acknowledge that customers in the Emu Park and surrounding areas have experienced significant power issues over time, and while some remedial work was carried out last year to address these issues, ultimately the construction of a new zone substation close to the load center is considered the best long term solution” said Simpson.

The Capricorn Coast, which is currently serviced by the Yeppoon zone substation, has been experiencing substantial load growth of 9% per annum and the southern parts of the Coast including Kinka Beach, Hidden Valley, Emu Park and Keppel Sands are forecast to grow at a similar rate.

“This new zone substation will not only cater for current and future load growth driven in the main by residential and commercial development but will also provide us with increased flexibility and switching options from an operational perspective and provide customers with an enhanced level of reliability” he said.

The site of the new substation is well suited as it will connect straight into the existing 66 kV ring feed between the Lakes Creek and Yeppoon substations reducing the impact on the surrounding environment.

The substation building complex will be of an aesthetically pleasing design similar to the design and construction adopted by Ergon Energy on other recent major substation projects.

“We are looking to forward to working with the Capricorn Coast community on this project and delivering the benefits of the new Tanby zone substation to our customers,” Simpson said.

Construction is expected to be completed and the new substation in service by December this year.