The first of more than 800 new transmission towers that will form the 365-kilometre-long 500kV HumeLink transmission line have been erected at Gregadoo, near Wagga Wagga, in the southeast of New South Wales.
Construction officially started in early October on the $4.9 billion HumeLink, which is expected to be Australia’s most expensive transmission project to date.
HumeLink will include double-circuit 500 kV lines running from Wagga Wagga to Bannaby in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales and will primarily help connect the over-budget and delayed Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro scheme, as well as help unlock wind and solar capacity in the south-west of the state.
Once completed, HumeLink is designed to unlock the full capacity of Snowy 2.0 and other renewable energy projects and provide an additional 2,200-megawatts (MW) of on-demand energy into the grid.
Transmission company Transgrid says more than 700 personnel are now onsite across the entire 365km project alignment, including the specialist crews responsible for erecting the massive transmission towers.
Once completed, HumeLink will consist of 832 new transmission towers using more than 52,000-tonnes of structural steel as well as over 9,300km of high-voltage conductor, enough to span the distance from Sydney to Perth nearly three times.
New substations will also be built at Gugaa and Maragle, while existing stations at Bannaby and Wagga Wagga will be upgraded.
“Transgrid and our delivery partners are getting on with the job of delivering this once-in-a-generation investment in our energy system, critical to realising the Commonwealth and NSW governments’ shared clean energy vision,” said Brett Redman, Transgrid CEO.
According to Transgrid, HumeLink will deliver over $1 billion in net benefits to Australian households and businesses by providing access to cleaner and more affordable energy. The project is also investing in local communities to deliver education and training opportunities, creating jobs, and supporting local businesses.
“The project is also providing an economic boost to regional communities, creating up to 1,600 construction jobs and delivering $6.3 billion in direct and indirect investment in local economies along the project alignment,” said Redman.
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