Australia’s largest transmission project, EnergyConnect, has received final environmental approval from the NSW Government, which Transgrid has welcomed as work on the western section of the project picks up speed.
Transgrid CEO Brett Redman said Transgrid is pleased that NSW Minister for Planning Anthony Roberts has cleared the path for the company to progress the second half of its $1.8 billion interconnector project.
“The Government has completed a thorough review of the Environmental Impact Statement for the around 540km eastern section of the project – just as we accelerate the construction efforts in the west of NSW,” Redman stated.
Works on the western section of EnergyConnect are progressing well, according to Redman, with the construction of a 30-hectare camp to house hundreds of workers at Buronga before crews prepare to assemble and erect the first 1,500 steel towers.
“We are building the energy superhighway and EnergyConnect is the biggest project yet for Transgrid. The interconnector will enable sharing of energy between NSW and South Australia and Victoria for the first time, enable the integration of renewable generation and help the Federal Government achieve its climate change targets,” he added.
Additionally, Redman said that EnergyConnect would generate up to 1,500 jobs, $180 million in annual savings for NSW customers, and $4 billion in net benefits.
The 135 km western section of the project, between Buronga and the South Australian border, has been under construction since June 2022, thanks to SecureEnergy JV, Transgrid’s construction partner. The project has more than 200 employees working on it, and completion is scheduled for late 2024.
At Buronga, a 30-hectare laydown and housing camp for workers that can accommodate 340 people is taking shape. Additionally, the current Buronga substation will be enlarged to become one of the largest in Australia. On Renmark Rd., a new camp with room for 160 more personnel is being constructed. Construction workers will lay the foundations for the first of 1,500 towers, which will require about 30,000 tonnes of steel, later this year.
“Today’s planning approval adds momentum to this once-in-a-generation transmission project that will reshape the National Electricity Market, making it possible for Australians to access cleaner and cheaper energy,” Redman said.
The Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water is currently assessing the EnergyConnect project.
