The Queensland government says the upcoming State Budget will lock in $2.4 billion (USD 1.56 billion) in funding over four years to deliver the CopperString power grid expansion with initial works to focus on the project’s Eastern Link.
CopperString includes the construction of about 1,100 kilometres of new high-voltage power lines that would connect Mount Isa and the North West Minerals Province to the national electricity grid near Townsville in north Queensland. The project – being delivered by government-owned energy cooperation Powerlink in conjunction with construction partners UGL and CPB Contractors – is expected to unlock large-scale solar and wind investment along with large deposits of minerals key to the energy transition.
It has however been beleaguered by cost blowouts with the price tag rising from an estimated $1.5 billion in 2021 to $9 billion late last year. This had raised the prospect the newly elected Queensland government could modify it amid a broader rethink of the state’s renewable energy transition.
That prospect has been allayed with Queensland Treasurer and Energy Minister David Janetzki announcing a $2.4 billion funding boost ahead of handing down the State Budget on 24 June 2025. This is an increase of $1.4 billion on last year’s Budget.
“We are committed to CopperString,” he said. “We’re committed to delivering investment and economic growth across the state, including our minerals-rich northwest.”
Image: Queensland government
Janetzki said the investment commitment gives much-needed certainty to communities, councils and the private sector looking to invest in north and northwest Queensland. He also noted that private investment is being sought to through the Queensland Investment Commission (QIC).
“We’ll continue to draw upon the expertise of QIC in assessing the project, including private sector investment,” he said.
The new funding commitment shapes as a pivotal moment for the CopperString project, paving the way for the procurement of critical components like transformers, tower steel, and transmission lines.
On-the-ground works are set to begin later this year at the Hughenden Hub to connect future renewable energy at the planned Flinders Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) to the National Electricity Market (NEM). In addition, Powerlink will prepare site accommodation across the Eastern Link that stretches from Hughenden to Townsville.
The project is expected to be completed by 2029 and commissioning and energisation of the transmission line by 2031.
Townsville Enterprise CEO Claudia Brumme-Smith said CopperString is the single most important enabling project for northern Australia, unlocking energy security, industrial growth, and renewable investment across the region.
“Without transmission, there is no transition,” she said. “This commitment gives certainty to industry and investors, and supercharges the region’s $40 billion investment pipeline.”
“This is more than a powerline, it’s a pathway to prosperity for north Queensland and energy security for the nation.”
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