The project is expected to provide cheaper, more reliable, and sustainable energy to Australian households and businesses.
Australia’s largest transmission project, EnergyConnect, has achieved a significant milestone with the erection of the first of 1,500 steel towers in the Far West of New South Wales.
The A$1.8 billion (about $1.2 billion U.S. at current exchange rates) project is critical to Australia’s clean energy future as it is expected to enable the sharing of electricity between New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria, integrate renewable energy into the grid, and help the country achieve its emissions reduction targets.
The New South Wales section of the project, from Wagga Wagga to the South Australian border with a connection to Red Cliffs in Victoria, is being constructed by Transgrid and SecureEnergy. The project is expected to provide cheaper, more reliable, and sustainable energy to Australian households and businesses.
“We are getting on with the job of delivering the critical infrastructure needed to provide Australian households and businesses with cheaper, more reliable and sustainable energy,” Transgrid CEO Brett Redman said.
“The raising of our first transmission towers on EnergyConnect is yet another significant milestone in building the energy superhighway to accelerate the nation’s clean energy future.”
The first guyed towers were erected using a 230-ton crane at Buronga, near Mildura. The guyed towers are reported to require less steel and concrete than conventional self-supporting towers and to be more sustainable with reduced carbon footprint.
In addition to supporting Australia’s transition to a renewable energy future, EnergyConnect is estimated to save New South Wales customers A$180 million per year or A$64 per household on average. It is also predicted to create up to 1,500 jobs, mainly in regional New South Wales, and contribute A$4 billion in net economic benefits.
Transgrid’s construction partner, SecureEnergy, is said to be investing over $17 million with local businesses and providing a significant economic injection into local communities along the project alignment.
Thttps://www.secureenergyjv.com.au/he Buronga substation, which will become the primary hub for energy sharing between the three states, is currently undergoing expansion works. Earthworks on the substation bench are now complete, with concrete foundations being poured to hold the synchronous condensers and transformers at the heart of the facility. Once operational, it is expected to be one of the largest and most complex substations in the Southern Hemisphere.
There are plans to establish six workforce camps along the EnergyConnect alignment, providing high-quality living amenities for workers. The camps are expected to relieve pressure on limited housing and accommodation in local communities and reduce travel to construction sites, ensuring the health and well-being of workers. Construction is also progressing on another two camps on Renmark Rd, west of the South Australia border, and near Lockhart, at the eastern end of the project alignment.
