Cowley was engaged as the electrical and controls subcontractor on Rockgas’s new LPG distribution site in Tauriko, Tauranga — a major hazard facility with compliance and coordination demands well beyond a standard electrical fit-out.
Our scope covered the design, supply and installation of:
- A dedicated switchboard in the compressor shed, distributing power to all LPG equipment on site
- The gas detection system, fully wired and calibrated
- The emergency shutdown (ESD) system, backed by an uninterruptible power supply to keep gas detection, shutdown and tank instrumentation live through any power loss
- Control and start/stop switching for the site’s three LPG transfer pumps
- A PLC-based control system running the site’s automated sequences
- A seismic switch, configured to trigger an automatic shutdown in an earthquake event
- Earthing and bonding across the full installation, tested and certified to standard
Every component was specified for the hazardous zone it sits in, and the installation was carried out by our specialised team, working to AS/NZS 60079 and Rockgas’s own Shutdown Systems Standard throughout. At handover we provided a complete hazardous area dossier — schematics, cable schedules, and compliance certification — giving Rockgas full traceability on a site they now operate under Major Hazard Facility obligations.
It’s the kind of project where there’s no margin for a wrong assumption – and it’s exactly the standard we hold ourselves to on every hazardous area site we touch.
“Rockgas has engaged Cowley Electrical on a number of projects with the latest one being a new LPG distribution site in Tauranga. The Cowley team have been incredible to work with and I’ve often wished all our contractors were so dedicated to providing such great service and making sure we are happy with the job they have done.
Not only is the standard of their installs outstanding (and has been praised by the independent electrical inspector), but also their communication and collaboration with Rockgas and the other contractors engaged on the project has been fantastic. They respond promptly to any queries and help ensure that everyone has all the required information and are on the same page.”
— Teresa Richards, Rockgas
