About us


Who are Marlborough Lines?

We are an electricity network owner/operator delivering electricity to more than 24,000 customers in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. Other network companies in which we have substantial investments supply a further 48,000 customers in the Nelson, Otago and Bay of Plenty regions of New Zealand.

map of Marlborough lines operations

Our investment activities also include electricity contracting services (where we employ about 180 people) in the Marlborough, Otago and Southland regions. Our contracting divisions undertake construction and maintenance of the electricity network assets that deliver electricity to customers from the national grid.

Vital statistics

Parent company

  • Marlborough Lines Limited shareholding comprises 28m $1.00 shares issued, fully paid up and held by the Marlborough Electric Power Trust.
  • Annual revenue of $48.056m.
  • In excess of 24,000 network connections.
  • An area for network supply covering 11,330km2.
  • Network of lines and cables in excess of 3,300km.
  • 126 Blenheim-based staff.

The Group

Marlborough Lines Group has a 50% interest in Nelson Electricity Limited (the owner of the electricity network supply in the central Nelson city area), and a 51% share in the OtagoNet Joint Venture (OtagoNet supplies electricity to the greater Otago area). Between them, these two entities supply electricity to approximately 24,000 customers. The Group also holds 13.9% of the shares in Horizon Energy – the owner of the electricity network which supplies a further 24,000 customers in the Bay of Plenty.

The entities in which Marlborough Lines has a significant financial interest:

  • supply a total of 48,100 customers
  • deliver 947GWh of electricity
  • have a peak load of 163MW
  • use 7,994km of line
  • bring a total revenue of $87.3m
  • employ 222 staff.

Marlborough Lines is based in Blenheim, a town with an enviable reputation for high sunshine hours. We take our electricity supply from the Transpower grid via three circuits to a single point of supply in the Blenheim suburb of Springlands. Supply to Marlborough then radiates out to a number

of very isolated rural areas including the Marlborough Sounds, Molesworth Station (New Zealand’s largest farm at the top of the Awatere Valley) and the southern Marlborough coast; an area bordered by the Pacific Ocean on one side and the seaward and inland Kaikoura mountains on the other.

The Marlborough region has become famous for wine production and currently produces about 79% of New Zealand’s wine volume including the world famous Sauvignon Blanc.

While parts of our region have a low population density and cover some very rugged terrain, the Company consistently maintains a very high level of network reliability. We are recognised as a leader in the operation and maintenance of rural electricity networks.

We are recognised as a leader in the operation and maintenance of rural electricity networks.