“Transformational:” SA section of Australia’s biggest renewable superhighway is complete

The South Australian component of Australia largest electricity transmission project – dubbed a renewable superhighway – has been completed, delivering 206km of new poles and wires “on time and on budget” and promising to help make 100 per cent renewables a reality for the state.

Project EnergyConnect, a 900km transmission line that connects Robertstown in South Australia to Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, is being delivered by network companies ElectraNet on the SA side and Transgrid on the NSW side.

The huge project, which includes a branch line into Victoria, is expected to add 800MW of new transfer capacity to the National Electricity Market (NEM).

This means it will unlock vast amounts of new wind, solar and battery storage projects along its route and accelerate the charge 100 per cent renewables that, in Australia, is being led by South Australia.

Most importantly, it will also mean more wind and solar can be exported from SA, rather than curtailed, and offers greater grid “security”, meaning that gas generators are not required to run in the background.

South Australia network company ElectraNet said on Thursday said that the completion of the SA component of the project – running from Robertstown in the mid north to the NSW border – was transformational for the state and the NEM.

ElectraNet chief Simon Emms said on Thursday that, once in full operation, the interconnector was expected to slash the annual power bill of a typical SA household by $127 and by between $6,000 and $18,000 for business customers.

“The interconnector strengthens South Australia’s position as a leader in the transition to a low-carbon economy and enhances our ability to export our abundance of renewable energy resources,” said ElectraNet CEO Simon Emms.

“As well as unlocking renewable energy developments, it strengthens South Australia’s power grid, and will deliver price savings for customers.

“Project EnergyConnect is already contributing to South Australia’s clean energy future through new renewable energy developments in excess of 2GW including wind, solar and batteries that are now proposing to connect to the grid,” Emms said.

Neoen Australia’s CEO, Louis de Sambucy, said the new interconnector was a significant factor in the renewables giant’s ongoing investment in the state, where it currently has over 1GW of wind and battery storage in operation or under construction.

“As a long-term owner-operator, SA’s ongoing energy policy leadership and our deep partnership with ElectraNet
have been major factors in our continued investments here,” de Sambucy said.

“Among its numerous other benefits to consumers, Project EnergyConnect will help provide transmission capacity for additional stages of our Goyder Renewables Zone in SA’s Mid North, leveraging the area’s world-class renewable resources and unlocking billions of dollars in investment for South Australia.”

The 700km New South Wales side of the project kicked off in March this year and, according to this July LinkedIn post, the last of 1,500 steel towers was installed 100 metres from the SA border at Chowilla, ready to connect to the SA section.

In a new LinkedIn update on Thursday, Transgrid said the remainder of EnergyConnect was “progressing well,” including the successful assembly of two synchronous condensers which sit at the heart of the 16ha Buronga substation – the main connection between NSW, South Australia and Victoria.