Transgrid said 1,508 towers and monopoles have been erected from the South Australian border to Wagga Wagga in southwest New South Wales (NSW) and into Victoria, completing the NSW stretch of the EnergyConnect transmission project. Line stringing works have also been completed, with 10,385 km of high-voltage conductor cabling installed.
Transgrid Executive General Manager of Major Projects Gordon Taylor said installation of the final tower and completion of line stringing works was finalised in late December and caps off a massive logistical operation and construction effort.
“We have achieved extraordinary progress in construction of the project this year, which is now 90% complete and on schedule to be finished in 2026,” he said, adding that completion of construction “brings millions of consumers in three states closer to accessing cleaner and more affordable renewable energy.”
A joint venture between Transgrid and South Australia network operator counterpart ElectraNet, EnergyConnect is a new 900 km high-voltage transmission line that links the energy grids of NSW, Victoria and South Australia.
The South Australian section stretches 200 km from Robertstown to the NSW border and was completed in 2023. The NSW section stretches 700 km from the South Australian border to Wagga Wagga via Buronga and includes a short spur line to Red Cliffs in northwest Victoria, The NSW section is being delivered by Transgrid and its construction partner Elecnor Australia.
The 159 km western section of EnergyConnect, from the South Australia border to Buronga and Red Cliffs, has already been completed and energised. Construction of a new substation at Dinawan is being finalised, and an expansion of the Wagga Wagga substation has also been completed.
Once operational, EnergyConnect will add 800 MW of transfer capacity between the three states and it is expected to allow about 2.5 GW of new solar, wind and energy storage projects to connect into the National Electricity Market.
Taylor said the project is part of Transgrid’s plan to give industry and consumers peace of mind as coal generation winds down in NSW, stabilising the grid at a time when reliability and affordability are national priorities.
“EnergyConnect is the first major transmission project to accelerate Australia’s renewable energy transition and will help strengthen the national grid and position NSW as a leader in clean energy,” he said.
Originally due to commence operations in 2023, EnergyConnect has been hit by delays in construction and cost blowouts with Transgrid early last year revealing that the cost of the NSW section of the project had climbed to $3.6 billion (USD 2.41 billion), well above the $1.82 billion price tag that was originally approved.
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