Connection Plus March/April 2001
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Your business newsletter from WEL Energy Group March/April 2001 24 hour faults 0800 800 WEL Threestrikes 0800 800 935 andand you’reyou’re notnot outout InternationalInternational WEL has improved its supply reliability during flavourflavour toto storms and lightning strikes thanks to a reconfigured WEL Energy lines network. contractors check BalloonsBalloons overover A two-year, $10 million programme is being completed to the network as part reduce the length of time Waikato customers suffer outages. of our reliability WaikatoWaikato Several new 33,000 and 11,000-volt cables and associated upgrade. indoor switchgear were installed in Hamilton North, and Contact Energy’s Te Rapa cogeneration plant was brought What’s that in the sky? It’s a bird? into the system. It’s a plane? No, it’s a new, huge, specially shaped Until recently the WEL’s system was operated as a radial balloon being brought to Balloons over network. Any fault on the 33,000-volt lines supplying its Waikato thanks to sponsorship from the substations resulted in a total loss of supply to that Hamilton City Council. substation. WEL is getting behind the WEL Energy WEL Contracts Manager Bill Doig says the old system looked Trust-sponsored annual hot air balloon like a tree and if any branch was affected by an outage, festival in April. Event Manager Linda Kelly everyone on that branch was cut off until repairs were says registrations have already been made. received from balloonists in Australia, The new system created a ring network so power is able America, Britain, Canada and a number of to be re-routed through another line. New Zealand entries. Seven 33,000-volt substations are now fed by a ring system The five-day festival has been flying since 1988, but this is only the second organised and an additional supply point has been connected to the by the Balloons over Waikato Trust. ring from Huntly. It will be based at Lake Domain and Innes “The results so far have been impressive with a 600% The same occurred with a series of lightning strikes in Common again although some balloons improvement during a storm in November”, says Bill Doig. December. The company would normally have expected will also appear in Cambridge and Te A similar storm would have resulted in an average outage to lose supply to some areas but although there were Awamutu. of 27 minutes lost, but the comparable result in November interruptions on three of our 33,000-volt circuits, no The festival runs April 4-8 and includes a was less than five minutes. customer lost power. number of competition events, a School Hop programme in Hamilton and the spectacular free Night Glow on Saturday ChangesChanges inin thethe windwind forfor WELWEL April 7 at Innes Common. There are changes in the wind for WEL Energy Group, “Our market research has shown there is still confusion your electricity lines company. between WEL Energy Group, WEL Energy Trust and Natural From mid April we’ll have a new name, but that won’t change Gas WEL Energy (now On Energy). A name change should our focus or our commitment to safety, reliability and growth help to reduce that confusion.” in our region. “Our new name will better describe what we do now – that Marketing Manager Jacqui Thorby says the changes, which is, we manage and maintain electric lines network and we are still being worked through, are another step in the are focused on the growth and development of the Waikato.” company’s natural evolution – starting as the Central Waikato From mid April, WEL will run an information and repositiong Electric Power Board and becoming Waikato Electricity then campaign that will aim to help educate customers about WEL Energy. the new direction of WEL Energy Group. Coming soon… Look for your invitation to… Regional Infrastructure Developments Progress and Planning Seminar Leading into the 21st Century, 4 April, 2001 Keeping our customers informed about regional developments is a key priority for WEL. We have assembled a unique panel of leading authorities on transportation, water and waste water treatment to discuss their plans for future developments – developments that have a direct effect on the success and growth potential of your business. Take advantage of this opportunity to listen to our regions’ primary infrastructure managers discuss their plans for developments in the Waikato through to 2020. See your business’s future more clearly. For more information or to register your interest, contact Pamela Storey, WEL Energy Group, on 07-858-1407. Check out our website www.wel.co.nz WEL Energy Group Limited • Corner London & Victoria Streets • Hamilton • PO Box 925 • Phone: 07 838 1399 • Fax: 07 858 1447 • 24 hour Faults: 0800 800 935 • Email: [email protected] March/April 2001 24 hour faults 0800 800 WEL 0800 800 935 Round the Bridges runners help fund McKenzie Trust Last year’s record breaking 56th Round the Bridges race has boosted McKenzie Centre funds by almost $5000. In perfect weather almost 1500 people took part, including 68 corporate and 54 school teams and following its success, WEL Energy Group is planing on sponsoring the event again this year. Marja Steur, McKenzie Centre co-ordinator, said the success of the event meant the organisation could undertake projects that might not otherwise go ahead. “The money will be used for professional staff development and printing information brochures for agencies and organisations who refer children with special needs and their families to us.” Above: Learning at its best. Left: The cheque changes hands. From left: Graham Dudfield of Hamilton City Hawks and Shoneen Dunning E Te a a W a u s r h a H d l y re u n a e e of WEL Energy Group present the cheque to Marja I Aw h i n o ko p N n t e a o n g a M a l r v e c i Steur of the McKenzie Centre. e n t i S p o n f o r c h i l d r e n w i t h WEL announces business development awards Developing new business opportunities could win Waikato business Applications are now open and there is no restriction on the number of projects awards worth up to $5000 this year. that can be entered by any one company. WEL Energy Group has announced two $5000 business development awards, Award applications should feature at least one of the following criteria: which will help local companies, finance the design, development, evaluation • Job creation or implementation of a new project or product. • Productivity improvement Business Development Manager Jack Ninnes said the opportunities could also • Product or production cost reduction include a specialist energy efficiency or load control project that would help • Energy efficiency savings/improvements reduce production costs, develop a new product or provide specialist process development. • Customer and/or WEL growth opportunity "The awards are aimed at any development that could better the Waikato • Value to the wider community economy, create new jobs or provide value to the region we serve," he said. • A new business opportunity The awards are directed at the manufacturing and processing industries as well • Emission reduction as research and development organisations. • A new technology application Jack Ninnes said applicants must be WEL customers and the product or development • Waste recovery will need to be based in the Waikato. To apply for award funding please contact Jack Ninnes ph (07) 858 1458 or Applicants will be required to present a short business plan to WEL to be scored email [email protected] on set criteria including the value streams being created for the company in the Waikato. New produce centre best in the country Turners and Growers new produce centre in the Pukete industrial area is the most up to date in the country, according to Waikato/Bay of Plenty Regional Manager Des Hull. Completed in November, the multi-million dollar facility confirms the Waikato as one of the fruit, vegetable and flower marketing company’s major growth areas. Des Hull says the centre has two floors, one for its Foodstuffs supermarket contracts and the other for independent retailers, restaurants and the like. Sales are now pre-negotiated and pre-sold with orders put together at night and delivered first thing in the morning. Work for many of the 100 staff begins at 8pm and most have left the complex by early afternoon. The Hamilton centre is a distribution point for the Waikato, Coromandel, King Country and Rotorua. Produce arrives from the grower in chilled truck and trailer units, is unloaded at Pukete into the coolstores, sorted and distributed to customers in chilled trucks. Des Hull says Turners and Growers’ aim is to ensure all produce is chilled and under cover from the time it is harvested to arrival at the supermarket or restaurant. At Pukete, produce is unloaded in a canopy tunnel protected from the weather. “Because produce is in a coolstore from picking to selling, it has a longer shelf life and the quality is improved,” he said. “Hamilton is the ideal distribution point for us because it’s central and the city has a large number of big customers.” Check out our website www.wel.co.nz WEL Energy Group Limited • Corner London & Victoria Streets • Hamilton • PO Box 925 Mark Tomsett, Manager, Team Foodstuffs, checks • Phone: 07 838 1399 • Fax: 07 858 1447 an early morning order. • 24 hour Faults: 0800 800 935 • Email: [email protected].