NEWS & BLOGS

National civil contractor Connell has been named as a finalist in a prestigious award for their work on key infrastructure upgrade projects across the North Island.

Critical upgrade work on the Kawerau Substation landed Connell a position as a finalist in the Civil Contractors New Zealand – Waikato awards (Category $2M-$5M).

Connell General Manager Fabian Bracken said the nomination was a huge win for the team.

“Recognition as a finalist in awards like these reinforce why we do what we do and embody the dedication we have as an organisation to deliver the best work.

“It’s a fantastic commendation for the team and a testament to the work they do up and down the country.”

As part of the Kawerau T11 Transformer demolition, T10 Civil and 33kV Switchroom Works in Kawerau, civil contractor Connell Contractors delivered complex civil works within a live operations substation environment for clients Eastland Generation Limited.

The project formed a critical component of network reliability and generation capacity.

One key aspect of works was minimising disruption to the grid while keeping site staff safe and delivering key works efficiently and effectively.

Working in a constrained footprint next to a state highway and alongside external site staff and stakeholders, the Connell team delivered a range of works including the demolition of an existing transformer foundation; modifications to an operational switchroom; an extension to the existing switchyard; the construction of the new T10 transformation foundation; and the wider installation of new cable infrastructure and oil containment systems.

Taking seven months and requiring significant additional site planning, Connell Contracts Manager Matt Dean and Supervisor Jesse Hart helped deliver the project safely, with no injuries recorded on site.

“In spite of significantly elevated risk of injury or damage to person or property, proactive site planning and people management ensured we delivered the project with no injuries recorded. This was the benchmark of success for the team especially in a live environment with no shortage of hazards.”

The Civil Contractors New Zealand Hirepool Construction Excellence Awards will be announced at the Conference Awards dinner on 14 August.