ENERGY

Cook Strait HVDC Cable Replacement

Transpower NZ (state-owned enterprise) · Wellington

Replacement of three undersea HVDC cables and the addition of a fourth to lift transfer capacity, plus new termination stations either side of Cook Strait, on the inter-island link between Benmore and Haywards. The existing cables are near the end of their 40-year design life. The Commerce Commission approved the $1.1b investment on 18 June 2026.

Strongest delivery signals Data: High

Delivery Confidence Score, 0 to 100, higher is better: a ranking of how strong this project's delivery signals are, not a probability. It blends eight factors, including the election risk and policy alignment shown below.

Breakdown▾

Data current as at 16 Sept 2026, when the pipeline was last checked against its source.

Key facts

Region: Wellington
Sector: Energy
Status: Planning
Estimated value: $1.1b
Indicative completion: TBC
Funding status: Fully Funded
Lead organisation: Transpower NZ (state-owned enterprise)
Election risk: Safe

Election risk assessment

A regulated transmission investment recovered through electricity transmission charges under the Commerce Commission framework, not Crown appropriations, so it is insulated from the election outcome.

Government priority alignment

HIGH: Commerce Commission approved; HVDC resilience and energy security have broad cross-party support.

Recent changes

2026-W37Major New project added: Cook Strait HVDC Cable Replacement (Planning, $1.1b).

Chronology

2026Commerce Commission issues final approval for Transpower's $1.1b Cook Strait HVDC cable replacement (18 June); installation planned for the early 2030s before the existing cables reach the end of their 40-year life

Source

Transpower: Commerce Commission approval, Cook Strait cable investment ↗

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