An "energy bridge" to Auckland could turn Northland into a major producer of renewable power, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Photo: 123RF
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says the government will spend up to $2 million investigating if it's feasible to build an "energy bridge" between Northland and Auckland.
Jones said the North was rich in renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar, but existing power lines did not have the capacity to send that electricity to Auckland, where it was most in demand.
He said an energy bridge, consisting of high-voltage transmission lines between Kaikohe substation and Marsden Point, could fix that.
High-capacity power lines were already in place between Marsden Point and Auckland, a legacy of oil-fired power stations built near Northland's biggest port in the 1970s but long since scrapped.
If the project was found to be feasible, Jones said it could turn Northland into a major power-exporting region.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment would conduct the study, paid for by the coalition government's Regional Infrastructure Fund.
Jones said MBIE, working with local stakeholders, would also carry out an economic analysis of the potential benefits.
"This project has the potential to unlock $1 billion of private investment in new renewable energy. If this is feasible, Northland could become a significant electricity generator and supplier of power, which might have flow-on benefits for Auckland and the rest of the country," he said.
It could benefit Northland by increasing electricity self-sufficiency improving the resilience of Northland's power network.
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Jones said it could also reduce power prices for Auckland and nationally - if wholesale prices could be brought down.
"More detailed work needs to be done into the feasibility of expanding Northland's power generation before further government funding can be considered, but if the outcome is positive, the payoff could be massive. This is a long-term project and there's a lot of water to pass under the bridge yet, but if it goes ahead some new power generation could come online as components are completed, with full commissioning by 2029," he said.
An "energy bridge" has long been mooted by Northland's key industry and business players as the one new piece of infrastructure that could do most to boost the region's economic prospects.
Formal costings have not been carried out but previous estimates have put the price around $100 million.
Northland has traditionally been an importer of energy, reliant on electricity transported long distances through Auckland.
The vulnerability of its transmission network was highlighted in June 2024 when a contracting company's error toppled a pylon north of Auckland, cutting power to the entire region.
In recent years, however, the Far North in particular has become a significant producer of renewable energy.
Top Energy operates a major geothermal power plant at Ngāwhā, near Kaikohe, and Lodestone's solar farm on the outskirts of Kaitāia was the biggest in the country when it opened in 2024.
Elsewhere in Northland, Mercury has started building a wind farm north of Dargaville with the biggest turbines used to date in New Zealand, while Meridian is putting the finishing touches to a 100MW battery storage system at Ruakākā and is planning a large solar farm nearby.
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