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This
legislation is administered by the Electricity Authority. For more
information please see: Website: https://www.ea.govt.nz/ Contact
phone: +64 4 460 8860 Contact
address: PO Box 10041, Wellington 6143 |
Electricity Industry Participation Code (Common Quality Related
Amendments) Amendment 2026
This amendment to the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010 (Code) is made under section 38 of the Electricity Industry Act 2010 (Act) by the Electricity Authority having complied with section 39 of the Act.
Amendment
1 Title
This is the Electricity Industry Participation Code (Common Quality Related Amendments) Amendment 2026.
2 Commencement
This amendment
comes into force on 1 December 2026.
3 Code amended
This amendment amends the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010.
Part 1
Amendments to Part 1 of the Electricity Industry
Participation Code
4 Clause 1.1 amended (Interpretation)
(1) In clause 1.1(1), replace
the definition of fast instantaneous reserve with:
fast instantaneous reserve means instantaneous reserve provided after the start of a “Contingent Event” or an “Extended Contingent Event” (both as defined in the policy statement) that results in a fall in frequency, where that instantaneous reserve is provided in accordance with the requirements for fast instantaneous reserve set out in the procurement plan and that is sustained until at least 60 seconds after the start of the “Contingent Event” or “Extended Contingent Event”
(2) In clause 1.1(1), revoke the definition of maximum South Island frequency.
(3) In clause 1.1(1), revoke the
definition of over frequency limit.
(4) In clause 1.1(1), replace the definition of sustained instantaneous reserve with:
sustained instantaneous reserve means instantaneous reserve provided after the start of a “Contingent Event” or an “Extended Contingent Event” (both as defined in the policy statement) that results in a fall in frequency, where that instantaneous reserve is provided in accordance with the requirements for sustained instantaneous reserve set out in the procurement plan and that is sustained until at least 15 minutes after the start of the “Contingent Event” or “Extended Contingent Event” (unless a new dispatch instruction is given before the expiry of that 15 minute period)
Part 2
Amendments to Part 7 of the Electricity Industry
Participation Code
5 Clause 7.2A amended (System operator to maintain frequency)
(1) In clause 7.2A, replace
subclause (5) with:
(5) During a contingent event in the North Island, the system operator must ensure that, for that island—
(a) frequency remains at or above 48 Hertz and at or below 52 Hertz during the contingent event; and
(b) frequency returns to or above 49.25 Hertz and to or below 50.75 Hertz within 60 seconds after the contingent event.
(5A) During a contingent event in the South Island, the system operator must ensure that, for that island—
(a) frequency remains at or above 48 Hertz and at or below 55 Hertz during the contingent event; and
(b) frequency returns to or above 49.25 Hertz and to or below 50.75 Hertz within 60 seconds after the contingent event.
(2) In clause 7.2A(6),—
(a) in paragraph (a),
insert “and at or below 52 Hertz during the extended contingent event” after “47 Hertz”; and
(b) in paragraph
(b), insert “during the extended contingent event” after “5 seconds”; and
(c) in paragraph
(c), insert “during the extended contingent event” after “20 seconds”; and
(d) in paragraph
(d), insert “and to or below 51.2 Hertz” after “49.25 Hertz”.
(3) In clause 7.2A(7),—
(a) in paragraph
(a) insert “and at or below 55 Hertz during the extended contingent event”
after “45 Hertz”; and
(b) in paragraph
(b) insert “and to or below 52 Hertz” after “49.25 Hertz”.
Part 3
Amendments to Part 8 of the Electricity Industry
Participation Code
6 Clause 8.17 replaced (Contribution by injections to overall frequency management)
Replace clause 8.17 with:
8.17 Contribution by injections to
overall frequency management
(1) Subject to subclause (2), each generator and
the HVDC owner must
ensure that its assets,
other than any excluded
generating station, at all times make the
maximum possible injection
contribution―
(a) to maintain frequency within the normal band; and
(b) to restore frequency to the normal band when
frequency is outside the normal
band.
(2) Subclause (1)
applies―
(a) to a generator only when its assets are synchronised; and
(b) to the HVDC owner only when the HVDC link is electrically connected.
(3) Any contribution made by the assets of a generator or
the HVDC owner in
accordance with subclause (1) must be assessed against the technical codes.
7 Clause 8.19 amended (Contributions to frequency support in under-frequency events)
(1) Replace clause 8.19(1) with:
(1) Each North Island generator must ensure that its assets, other than any excluded generating station, contribute to supporting frequency at all times while synchronised by ensuring that each of its generating units remain synchronised and, subject to any variability or intermittency in the generating unit’s power source, sustain at least their pre-event output―
(a) indefinitely when the frequency is above 47.5 Hertz; and
(b) for at least 120 seconds when the frequency is 47.5 Hertz; and
(c) for at least 20 seconds when the frequency is 47.3 Hertz; and
(d) for at least 5 seconds when the frequency is 47.1 Hertz; and
(e) for at least 0.1 seconds when the frequency is 47.0 Hertz; and
(f) at any frequencies between those specified in paragraphs (b) to (e), at least for
a period of time derived by linear interpolation.
(2) Replace clause 8.19(3) with:
(3) Each South Island generator must ensure that its assets, other than any excluded generating station, contribute to supporting frequency at all times while synchronised by ensuring that each of its generating units remain synchronised and, subject to any variability or intermittency in the generating unit’s power source, sustain at least their pre-event output―
(a) indefinitely when the frequency is at or above 47 Hertz; and
(b) for 30 seconds if the frequency falls below 47 Hertz but not below 45 Hertz.
8 Clause 8.25A amended (Fault ride through)
(1) In clause 8.25A(2), replace
“bus” with “busbar” in each place.
(2) Revoke clause 8.25A(3).
9 New clause 8.25AB inserted (Assessing fault ride through compliance)
After clause 8.25A,
insert:
8.25AB Assessing fault ride
through compliance
(1) The system operator must assess whether each of a generator’s assets, when electrically connected to a network, meets the requirements of clauses 8.25A(1) and 8.25A(2) by reviewing the power system analysis the generator must undertake in compliance with the fault ride through study obligations in the connected asset commissioning, testing and information standard.
(2) The power system analysis referred to in subclause (1) must use—
(a) for any generating station with a point of connection on the grid, one or more network models provided by the system operator; and
(b) subject to subclause (3), for any embedded generating station, one or more network models provided by the system operator and the distributor to whose distribution network the embedded generating station is directly connected; and
(c) relevant system assumptions provided by the system operator.
(3) If there is a material inconsistency between the software type or the configuration of the network models provided by the system operator and the software type or the configuration of the network models provided by the distributor under subclause (2), the generator and the system operator must use the software type and the configuration of the network models provided by the system operator to the extent of the inconsistency.
(4) If the system operator considers that a generator’s asset does not meet the requirements of clauses 8.25A(1) and 8.25A(2), the system operator and the generator must seek to reach agreement on—
(a) any further power system analysis needed to prove whether the asset meets the requirements of clauses 8.25A(1) and 8.25A(2); and
(b) any measures needed for the asset to meet the requirements of clauses 8.25A(1) and 8.25A(2).
10 Clause 8.25B amended (Reactive current and active power output)
In clause 8.25B(3),—
(a) replace
“a wind generating station” with “an intermittent generating station”; and
(b) replace
“the intermittent wind power source” with “its variable and/or intermittent
power source”.
11 Clause 8.25D amended (Application)
Revoke clause 8.25D(a).
Schedule 8.3 amended
12 Schedule 8.3, Technical Code A, clause 5 amended
In Schedule 8.3, Technical
Code A, clause 5, replace subclause (2) with:
(2) Each generator must ensure that for each of its generating stations with a point of connection on the grid―
(a) if a generating unit is equipped with a voltage control system, the voltage control system―
(i) has a voltage set point that is adjustable over the range of voltages set out in clause 8.23; and
(ii) operates continuously in the voltage control mode when synchronised; and
(ab) if a generating unit is not equipped with a voltage control system, then the generating station must be equipped with a voltage control system that―
(i) has a voltage set point that is adjustable over the range of voltages set out in clause 8.23; and
(ii) operates continuously in the voltage control mode when synchronised; and
(b) the generating station has either―
(i) at least one connection transformer, located at the generating station’s point of connection on the grid or between the generating station’s point of connection on the grid and the generating units, with an appropriate range of taps together with an on-load tap-changer; or
(ii) assets to give a dynamic performance at least equivalent to those required by subparagraph (i).
13 Schedule 8.3, Technical Code B, clause 9 amended
In
Schedule 8.3, Technical Code B, clause 9(1)(b), replace “the over
frequency limit is reached and the frequency continues to rise” with “the
frequency reaches 50.5 Hertz and continues to rise”.
Made at Wellington on 20
October 2026
John Harbord
Chair
Electricity Authority
Certified in order for signature:
Nicholai Mumford Olivia
Lund
Senior Legal Counsel Partner
Electricity Authority Duncan
Cotterill
16 October 2026 13
October 2026
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Explanatory Note
This note is not part
of the amendment but is intended to indicate its general effect.
This amendment to the Electricity Industry Participation
Code 2010 (the Code) comes into force on 1 December 2026.
The amendment amends provisions in the Code relating to
common quality to:
·
Align over-frequency
limits between the Code and the Policy Statement – a document incorporated by
reference in Part 8 of the Code:
·
Clarify requirements
for voltage control systems and connection transformers:
·
Amend the ‘fast instantaneous
reserve’ and ‘sustained instantaneous reserve’ definitions in Part 1 of the
Code:
·
Revise two fault ride through exclusions:
·
Clarify who provides
information to assess compliance with fault ride through obligations:
·
Clarify obligations
related to frequency management and frequency support.
More information about the amendments is available on the
Electricity Authority’s website
https://www.ea.govt.nz/
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This is secondary legislation issued under the
authority of the Legislation Act 2019. |
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Title |
Electricity Industry Participation Code (Common
Quality Related Amendments) Amendment 2026 |
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Instrument ID |
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Empowering provisions |
Electricity Industry Act 2010, section 38 |
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Date made |
20 October 2026 |
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Date as at |
Not applicable |
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Date of publication |
23 October 2026 |
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Administering agency |
Electricity Authority |