Unison Contracting Services Limited

UCSL has completed a number of major projects recently, which are helping to power and connect Hawke’s Bay, Rotorua, Taupo and Dunedin.

Camberley Substation: 
Camberley Substation is located on Orchard Road, Hastings, servicing nearly 3000 customers. The upgrade presents an exciting opportunity to incorporate sustainable building practices and pave the way for more innovative and eco-friendly substations across our network.
With a significant boost in capacity, which is nearly quadrupling from 7.5 MVA to an impressive 28.5 MVA, this new substation will meet the growing electricity demands of our region, including some important local infrastructure projects like Hawke's Bay hospital upgrades, the new Kaweka hospital, Hastings District Council's Frimley water storage and treatment plant, and electric vehicle fast charging outlets. It will enable our customers to continue their decarbonisation journey as the country transitions to a zero-carbon future. 

Tauhara Geothermal Project:
UCSL is delivering electrical infrastructure solutions to support Contact Energy’s geothermal generation expansion in the central North Island. Construction of a permanent zone substation at Tauhara and a 33kV switchroom near Contact Energy’s existing Te Huka power station will create a connection between Unison’s Centennial Drive switching station and Contact Energy’s Te Huka and Tauhara power stations.

Harapaki Windfarm Project:
UCSL is delivering electrical and contract works, including building the substation, at the Harapaki Windfarm off the Napier-Taupō Highway.

Te Huka Project Taupō:
Unison is currently undertaking further significant network expansion in the Taupō area to connect Contact Energy’s latest geothermal power station development, Te Huka 3. 

Once commissioned, this new 51.4MW power station will export its generation through Unison’s network to a new Transpower grid exit point (GXP) currently being constructed at Tauhara which is next door to Contact’s other large development, the Tauhara Power Station.

UCSL is constructing new 33kV switchrooms and 33kV subtransmission lines between the Te Huka 3 power station and the Tauhara GXP.  The project builds on the work to provide construction and backup supply to Contact Energy’s Tauhara Power Station construction project.

Taupō North Project:
This major undertaking will connect a new $275 million state-of-the-art wood production facility at Fletcher Building’s Laminex site and provide additional capacity to Taupō's industrial locations in the north and central areas. The entire project is set to be completed by mid-2026.

Dunedin Harbour Crossing project:
UCSL crews in Dunedin were instrumental in delivering Aurora Energy’s industry-recognised project, which won two awards at the 2022 New Zealand Energy Excellence Awards.

Windsor Substation:
Utilising the expertise of UCSL as the electrical contractor, Windsor Substation Switchroom serves as a benchmark for innovative, low-carbon solutions in the energy sector. It became the first Landscape and Infrastructure project in the world to receive the Living Building Challenge Vs 4.0 Petal Certification through the International Living Future Institute. This ground-breaking achievement demonstrates the future of sustainable energy and sets a new standard in environmentally-friendly design.
The substation was also awarded the Low-Carbon Future Award at the 2022 New Zealand Energy Excellence Awards for its pioneering sustainability work.