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by ta545 1248 days ago
It looks like there's just one HVDC interaliand link capable of sending 1.2GW, and dating back to 1964.

Why not install 7 more? That would allow the entire current demand for the entire of NZ to come from the south island.

10M USD per km, average 800km from centre of south island to Auckland, $8b in total. 43,000 GWh generation per years, that's just 2.5c per kWh over 10 years on your bill.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Indicative-capital-cost-...
2 comments
morepork 1248 days ago
The current HVDC link has had a lot of upgrades from the original 600MW to 1200MW now, and there are proposals to upgrade it further, but not nearly to the scale you suggest, as there just isn't the need for such levels of transmission.

Unless there were plans for major new hydro schemes in the South Island there's no particular reason not to just build new generation in the North. There is ample wind and geothermal in the North Island.

This would all change if the Tiwai Pt aluminium smelter were to close as that would leave a huge amount of generation that would need to go north to be used.

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teruakohatu 1248 days ago
> Why not install 7 more? That would allow the entire current demand for the entire of NZ to come from the south island.

There is a very high bar for building infrastructure accross the Cook Strait due to environmental concerns.

The problem is a lot of our power is far south, not center of the South Island, and our costs to build are likely multiples of what is costs overseas.

link