The original design of the inter-island link at Benmore was integrated with the design of the 540 MW Benmore hydroelectric power station. The 16 kV generator busbars in the power station were the point of connection between the HVDC link and the South Island grid. The power from the six Benmore generators could flow directly from the 16 kV busbars to the HVDC link via converter transformers, with the interconnecting transformers connecting to the Benmore 220 kV busbar to export or import electricity from the rest of the South Island. The design of the power station was optimised with the HVDC link, and the interconnecting transformers were designed with a significantly lower rating than the maximum output of the Benmore generators, because so much of the generator output power would normally flow to the HVDC link.