Transgrid

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has given its tick of approval to the proposed $1.53 billion electricity interconnector between Robertstown in South Australia and Wagga Wagga in New South Wales. The new transmission line holds the promise of reducing power bills in both states by unlocking gigawatts of planned renewable energy projects in its close proximity.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has published a report with TransGrid looking to assess the viability of an expansion to the NSW-VIC interconnector, a much-needed infrastructural upgrade. AEMO is seeking submissions on the interconnector and other transmission investment options.

French renewable developer giant Neoen has announced plans for a massive hybrid power plant in South Australia featuring 1200 MW of wind, 600 MW of solar and 900 MW of battery storage. The project will depend heavily on the SA-NSW interconnector.

The New South Wales (NSW) Government has declared TransGrid’s proposed 900km interconnector from South Australia (SA) to NSW to be a project of Critical State Significant Infrastructure (CSSI). This signifies a strong boost to the dearth of transmission infrastructure revealed by the rapid growth of renewables, particularly solar PV.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has today released its 2019 Electricity Statement of Opportunities (ESOO), a forecast of the supply and demand conditions across the National Electricity Market (NEM) as the country moves toward the 2019-20 summer. AEMO warned that a dearth of short and longer-term investment in dispatchable resources and transmission will ensure real-world impacts this summer.

After it garnered broad support in political and industry circles, the proposed SA-NSW interconnector is in line for a speedier approval than expected, with the AEMC looking to fast-track the regulatory approval process.

The New South Wales government is set to accelerate $2.5 billion worth of transmission projects in order to address grid bottlenecks and unlock low-cost, low-emission generation in new areas of the state. As part of its grid transformation plan, NSW will boost connections with its neighboring states and bring forward the Snowy Hydro scheme.

After addressing grid connection challenges, the French renewables giant has launched construction on the 256.5 MWp Kiamal Solar Farm. It is now looking to add a second stage of up to 194 MWp, and is exploring commercial options for the approved 380 MWh of energy storage.

The City of Sydney has installed the first large scale battery storage system to be located within the Sydney metropolitan are. Transgrid and the City collaborated on the project, which sees 500 kWh of batteries coupled with around 450 kWp of rooftop PV.