ENERGY

Cook Strait HVDC Cable Replacement

Transpower NZ (state-owned enterprise) · Wellington

Replacement of the four undersea HVDC cables and the termination stations on each 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, with installation planned for the early 2030s. The link lets the two islands share generation, supporting energy resilience and access to cheaper electricity.

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 13 Jun 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.

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 ↗

View Cook Strait HVDC Cable Replacement on the live map →