Australia’s EnergyConnect project – a 900km transmission line that will connect energy grids in the states of South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales – has achieved two major milestones, including progress on the main substation junction .
The AUD 2.3 billion ($1.56 billion) EnergyConnect project, an interconnector between New South Wales and South Australia with a rail link to Victoria, has achieved two major construction milestones, including the connection of the first part of the Buronga substation in south-west New South Wales.
Grid operator Transgrid, which is delivering the New South Wales portion of the project, said the first 220kV section of the new substation is now connected to the existing Buronga substation, allowing power to flow over EnergyConnect’s new backbone.
Transgrid CEO Brett Redman said connecting the substation is an important part of the safe testing and commissioning process prior to inter-network testing, which will be conducted by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
“We continue to implement this land-critical project that will provide millions of consumers with access to more reliable, cleaner and affordable energy,” Redman said. “EnergyConnect will allow us to move renewable energy between New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria to where and when it is needed, helping to make our energy system more secure.”
Transgrid said the Buronga substation will be one of the largest and most advanced substations in the southern hemisphere. It will include five phase-shifting transformers, two synchronous condensers and four shunt reactors.
In another major milestone for the project, construction partner Elecnor said it has erected the first of 334 “Danubio” towers designed to carry the heavy quad 500 kV conductor bundles stretching from Wagga Wagga substation to Dinawan substation .
Elecnor Australia Project Director Filipe Delgado said the connection process required technical expertise and collaboration across civil, electrical, construction, commissioning and overhead transmission line specialists.
Construction of the South Australian section of EnergyConnect was completed in December 2023 by South Australian grid owner ElectraNet, which is responsible for the 206 km section of cable in that state.
The project is the first major new transmission line built in Australia in approximately fifteen years and is expected to connect more than 2GW of solar, wind and battery projects to the grid.
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