State pledges $25m to make its own poles and wires for renewable energy transition

The Western Australian government will dedicate $25 million in state budget funding to drive the local manufacture and supply of poles and wires needed to deliver the state’s renewable energy transition.

WA premier Roger Cook said on Wednesday that funding will be split three ways, with each portion providing a boost to the state’s ability to produce the transmission network components, including “thousands of kilometres of transmission lines.”

Following up on previous commitments made as part of the state Labor government’s “Made in WA” plan, $10 million of the funding will be put towards a new manufacturing facility in Forrestfield.  

The facility will be developed in collaboration with the steel industry to provide the state’s main network utility, Western Power, to manufacture key transmission components.

A separate $5 million, originating from the state’s Strategic Industries Fund, will be put towards development of a new technology hub located in Picton in Southwestern WA, dubbed the “Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Hub (AMTECH).”

The government says it will work with industry to determine which products will be built between Forrestfield and Picton, where Western Power will become a foundational customer of a new Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Hub (AMTECH).

The final $10 million will go to a new facility aimed at procuring locally made material, known as the “Local Industry Development Fund.” 

Alongside the fund, the Government will establish an “agency-led” working group with the aim of shifting the government’s focus towards local procurement. 

“This [funding] will enable local suppliers to be engaged in long-term supply contracts – creating a pipeline of skilled jobs and delivering value for money with materials made right here in WA,” said recently appointed WA energy minister, Amber-Jade Sanderson.

The funding adds to previous commitments made by the WA Labor government, which in March this year pledged up to $55 million to develop the hub.

“By ensuring we have the facilities to deliver the poles and wires needed for Western Australia’s energy transition, we are creating opportunities for local industry to scale up and provide steel components to the energy transition that would otherwise be sourced from overseas,” said Cook.

“This will create jobs, diversify the economy, and help decarbonise WA – ensuring our State’s economy remains the strongest in the nation.”

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