Celebrating a rare milestone!
On Friday, we celebrated a major milestone: the completion of Stage 1 of the Washdyke network upgrade - our new 11kV switching station. Think of it as a traffic controller for electricity, directing power where it’s needed and making supply more reliable, resilient, and ready for growth.
The switching station is the first step toward a future zone substation, the larger project that will give Washdyke even more capacity to grow. We’ll move ahead with that when customer demand and timing are right, ensuring we balance accessibility, reliability and affordability.
But this project isn’t just about building a substation - it’s about what that enables. Reliable electricity means fewer outages for homes and businesses, extra capacity for new and expanding industries, and a network ready for cleaner energy. By strengthening Washdyke’s power backbone, we’re helping South Canterbury attract investment, create jobs, and support a thriving, sustainable future.
We’re incredibly proud of this build. The design is a first for us - placing us among the industries early adopters of innovative, lower carbon substations that reflects our responsibility to support not only today’s communities but generations to come. And we’re excited about a shared green space in the future, at the site entrance which will have interactive educational features for the community to learn how electricity is delivered and how the network supports local growth.
This idea was sparked when we saw Unison leading the way in sustainable substation builds at an industry conference. That inspiration led to a strong collaboration, and their expertise was instrumental in making this innovative design a reality.
Thank you to everyone who made this possible - our dedicated Alpine team, contractors, partners, the residents of Washdyke and shareholders. Special thanks to Mayor Nigel Bowen for his attendance and support.
Washdyke is a hub of industry and innovation, and together we’re laying the foundations for a strong, sustainable future.
