Babcock & Brown Infrastructure

Powerco

Powerco is New Zealand's second largest electricity and gas distribution business with over 410,000 connections across a service area of over 39,000 square kilometers in New Zealand.

Powerco’s businesses provide an essential energy transportation service to a broad and stable customer base.

Powerco

Description

Electricity and gas distribution

Asset Class

Energy Transmission & Distribution

Location

North Island of New Zealand

Acquired

November 2004

BBI % ownership

42%

Regulatory Environment

Subject to economic regulation in NZ:
- NZ electricity operates under a price and quality threshold
  (CPI-X) regime. Reset due in March 2010
- NZ gas now operates under price control

Customer Base

Broad, low volatility customer base, diversified both regionally and by customer class. Electricity and gas customers are largely residential, generally contracted via retail energy companies.

Asset Age & Condition

NZ Electricity: Half economic life (25 years)
NZ Gas: Less than half economic life (18 years) Assets in good condition commensurate with age

Capacity / Utilisation

14.5 MWh per electricity connection and 89 GJ per gas connection (23 GJ per residential gas customer)

Key Drivers

Energy demand and consumption levels.
New connections as a result of new housing developments in all areas.
Regional economic and population growth.


See the ASX Announcements, Presentations and Related Sites section of this website for more information on this asset.