Transgrid securing NSW energy future

Major construction works have commenced on the HumeLink in NSW — one of Australia’s biggest electricity transmission infrastructure projects. 

The delivery of this project will reinforce NSW’s southern electricity grid and enable the integration of more renewable generation into the National Electricity Market (NEM), forming the backbone of the power transmission network from South Australia through to northern Queensland 

The link will connect at Wagga Wagga with EnergyConnect and form the energy infrastructure needed to help bring cheaper, cleaner renewable energy online from solar and wind generators in south-west NSW. 

It will also unlock the full capacity of Snowy 2.0, Australia’s largest pumped hydro renewable energy project, which will provide an additional 2200MW of on-demand energy into the grid. 

The project development team, a joint venture with UGL and CPB Contractors, has started foundation piling for the project’s first transmission tower, setting the platform to begin the assembly and erection of 140 kms of transmission towers over the coming months. 

Completed works include the construction of about 30 access points and upgraded or installed 70km of new access tracks, completed the Tarcutta worker accommodation camp and established tower materials laydowns at Gugaa, Ellerslie and near Batlow. 

The team has also begun construction of a 500kV substation at Maragle, enabling Snowy Hydro 2.0 to be fed into the grid, which will form the hub for power transmission. 

Transgrid Group chief executive Brett Redman says the 365km transmission line is expected to deliver more than $1b in net benefits to the Australian economy and provide consumers in NSW with better access to cleaner, more affordable electricity. 

“This is a pivotal moment for the country’s energy transition as Transgrid and our delivery partners get on with the job of delivering this once-in-a-generation project that will help make Australia’s clean energy transition a reality,” he said. 

“HumeLink is a major step forward in delivering the sustainable, affordable and reliable energy all Australians deserve.  

“Nation-building projects such as HumeLink are crucial to helping the Australian Government achieve its new 2035 climate change target of a 62 to 70% reduction in emissions, compared with 2005 levels.” 

Further securing NSW’s energy future, Transgrid has signed a contract for the supply of synchronous condensers, highly-sought-after equipment that will assist in stabilising the NSW grid as it transitions from coal to renewables. 

This contract follows the NSW Government’s direction to Transgrid to accelerate procurement of the synchronous condensers as a priority network infrastructure project, with the tender overseen by the NSW Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Department (DCCEEW). 

GE Vernova will supply the first order of synchronous condensers to be deployed at five strategic sites on the NSW transmission network, following the completion of a global tender process that began with a request for proposals from leading energy equipment manufacturers in February. 

GE Vernova will be supplying and installing two smaller synchronous condensers at each of the five sites, rather than one larger synchronous condenser at each site in order to fast-track delivery 

Transgrid network executive general manager Jason Krstanoski says the accelerated process has shaved two years off the delivery schedule for this equipment. 

“We are delighted to have secured these machines in a global environment where demand for synchronous condensers continues to outpace manufacturing capacity, and we are competing with countries with much larger order books,” he said. 

“The accelerated procurement of these units for the first five sites is expected to deliver more than $1b in market benefits, meaning they will effectively pay for themselves in one year.” 

In the face of synchronous condensers global supply constraints, Transgrid is proactively exploring options to efficiently secure the next order of these machines. 

A separate tender for site enabling works will be completed in the coming months and the delivery schedule for the synchronous condensers will be confirmed once all procurement processes have been finalised.