Transgrid has announced the arrival of key components of two synchronous condensers for EnergyConnect, marking a significant milestone for the electricity project.
EnergyConnect will facilitate energy sharing between NSW, South Australia, and Victoria and enable the connection of more new renewable generation.
The 700-kilometer NSW phase of the project, from Wagga Wagga to the South Australian border, is being built by Transgrid and construction partner Elecnor Australia, with a connection to Red Cliffs in Victoria.
The 120MVAr synchronous condensers will be at the heart of the project, assisting in voltage maintenance and providing system resilience services such as inertia.
The units are designed to rotate at a speed of 750 rpm and generate an inertia of 7 MWs/MVA.
Transgrid Executive General Manager of Major Projects Gordon Taylor said condensers are crucial for maintaining grid stability during the construction of Australia’s energy superhighway, enabling the transition to renewable energy.
“Construction is powering ahead on EnergyConnect, and we are getting on with the job of delivering this national critical project which will unlock greater renewable energy sharing between three states. This project is a key enabler for Australia’s decarbonised future,” Taylor stated.
According to Elecnor Australia Project Director Samuel Basanta, Buronga is being transformed into a sophisticated Southern Hemisphere substation, serving as the main hub for connections between NSW, South Australia, and Victoria.
“There has been impressive progress despite the huge engineering challenges. I’m immensely proud of what our team has achieved from the pouring of the foundations, to the steel in the synchronous condenser building, the installation of the gantry crane, and now the arrival of the synchronous condensers,” he said.
Andritz supplied synchronous condensers with components built in Austria, Spain, and Brazil, which were shipped to Melbourne before a three-day journey to Transgrid’s Buronga substation near Mildura.
“This is a huge milestone having them arrive on site and is a big step in the project moving forward. The condensers will form the backbone for stability throughout the new substation,” Transgrid Electrical Site Manager Jason Scott said.
The machines are set to undergo five months of commissioning and testing.
“The condensers are very important to Australia’s renewable targets as we start bringing new solar and wind farms onto the transmission network,” Elecnor Australia Electrical and Installation Manager Darren Parkinson stated.
The synchronous condensers will be stored in a 60m long 1200m2 machine hall built in Geelong by Thornton Engineering.
The 16ha Buronga site is set to become one of the most complex in the Southern Hemisphere for technology and engineering, featuring a range of equipment, including:
- Five 200MVA phase-shifting transformers
- Four 330kV 60MVAr shunt reactors
- Two 120MVAr synchronous condensers
- Two 120MVA 330/12kV step down transformers
- Three 200MVA 330/220kV power transformers
- Two 330kV 52MVAr capacitor banks
