More than 100 jobs will be supported as part of a $49 million rebuild of a critical Central Queensland electricity substation.

Work has begun on rebuilding Bouldercombe Substation, which supplies electricity to Rockhampton and the wider Central Queensland region.

The four-year project will support 112 jobs and involves replacement of all primary equipment such as circuit breakers, structures and foundations as well as the installation of a new transformer on site.

Energy Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said the Bouldercombe substation was a critical transmission hub in the region, supplying Rockhampton and surrounding areas.

“The original substation plant is now reaching the end of its service life and requires replacement to ensure a reliable and secure supply of electricity to Central Queensland,” Dr Lynham said.

The substation was first built in the 1970s and has supported industrial and residential growth in the area for more than 40 years.

The rebuild work started in November and be completed in stages to ensure the project was delivered with minimal customer impact.

The first stage is the new transformer installation, which is expected to be completed by late 2021.

Member for Rockhampton Barry O’Rourke said the rebuild of Bouldercombe Substation is further proof of the Palaszczuk Government’s commitment to jobs and infrastructure for regional Queensland.

“This new substation will support many jobs during its construction and once complete will ensure continued reliability for our growing region’s energy needs.”

Transformers are a significant piece of equipment in a substation that converts high voltage electricity from the transmission network down to a lower voltage suitable for Ergon Energy’s distribution network, which in turn delivers electricity to households and businesses.

Powerlink Interim Chief Executive Kevin Kehl said once the transformer installation was complete, the remaining work to replace the primary plant on site would start, followed by decommissioning and removal of the old equipment. This is expected to be completed by mid-2023.

“Our focus is on extending the life of the substation at the lowest long run cost to customers, and with the least disruption to the local community,” Mr Kehl said.

Queensland’s publicly-owned electricity companies – Powerlink, Ergon, Energex, CS Energy, Stanwell Corp and CleanCo, will invest more than $2.2 billion on capital works in 2019-20, supporting up to 4900 jobs.