Transgrid: Construction Works Commence on the 365 km HumeLink Transmission Line Project in Australia
According to Transgrid, main construction works on the 365 km HumeLink transmission line project in Australia has commenced.
The project delivery will strengthen New South Wales’ (NSW) southern electricity grid and enable the integration of more renewable generation into the National Electricity Market (NEM), helping to realize Australia’s transition to cleaner energy and meet the Australian Government’s emissions targets.
The project will connect at Wagga Wagga with EnergyConnect and form the energy superhighway required to help bring cleaner renewable energy online from solar and wind generators in south-west NSW. It will also unlock the full capacity of Snowy 2.0, which will provide an additional 2,200 MW of on-demand energy into the grid, enough to power up to three million homes for a week.
Transgrid Group CEO, Brett Redman, said the transmission line is expected to deliver more than $1 billion in net benefits to the Australian economy and provide consumers in NSW with better access to cleaner, more affordable electricity.
“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 per cent reduction in emissions, compared with 2005 levels,” Redman said. “We will also invest in local communities to create jobs, deliver education and training opportunities, support local businesses, improve community facilities and services, and boost local economies.”
Transgrid has reached negotiated land access and easement agreements, either in place or agreed in principle, with 98.9% of private landholders for the HumeLink project. Bannister grazier Ken Ikin, running Cloverlee Poll Hereford Stud, will have the project cover part of his property, which is near the Gullen Range Wind Farm.
Mr. Ikin, who has an existing transmission line on his property, said the tower and transmission line that will be installed on his property will not interfere with his operations and livelihood. HumeLink is expected to create 1,600 construction jobs and deliver $6.3 billion of direct and indirect investment into the regional economy.
The project is designed and constructed in two sections by ACCIONA and GenusPlus Group Joint Venture (HumeLink East) and UGL and CPB Contractors Joint Venture (HumeLink West).
The project’s construction facts:
- 365km of new 500 kV transmission lines connecting Wagga Wagga, Maragle and Bannaby
- New or upgraded infrastructure at four substation locations
- 9,384km of conductor cabling, enough to span from Sydney to Perth and back again
- 835 new transmission towers using 52,610 tonnes of steel
- 47,400 cubic meters of concrete for substation works and tower footings
- Temporary camps at Adjungbilly, Kunama, Tarcutta and Yass accommodating up to 1,200 workers
- 10 compounds across the alignment to store materials, equipment and machinery
- Local procurement and investment in regional economies.