Transpower

Transpower owns and operates the National Grid, the high voltage transmission network connecting areas of generation with towns and cities across New Zealand. Transpower New Zealand Ltd. are therefore instrumental in identifying the most crucial risks to the electricity grid from geomagnetic storms. Transpower are providing internal network measurements, electrical characteristics, and advice around operational needs. Working with Transpower we will identify how the electrical network will respond during storms and construct a plan to mitigate the possible damage to New Zealand’s electrical grid.  

Firstgas

Firstgas owns and operatesmore than 2,500 kms of high pressure gas transmission pipelines and stations that supply natural gas from Taranaki to industrial consumers and residential networks throughout the North Island.    

The threat from geomagnetic storms to steel gas transmission pipelines has had less attention than the threat to the electrical grid. However, for a long time the pipeline industry has recognisedthat space weather may cause corrosion on pipelines, and more recently that geomagnetic storms have the potential to cause more rapid adverse effects. To thoroughly understand the risks of geomagnetic storms to our national energy infrastructure we also need to consider gas pipelines. Firstgas Group is supporting our work by providing data and advice. This will enable the space weather impacts on gas pipelines in New Zealand to be modelled and quantified comprehensively for the first time.