Camp works begin west of Wagga for nation’s biggest transmission project

Transgrid Executive General Manager of Major Projects Gordon Taylor said: “We are getting on with the job of delivering the critical infrastructure needed to provide households and businesses with cheaper, reliable, and sustainable energy.

“EnergyConnect is providing a major economic injection in local communities along the project alignment, creating hundreds of jobs and investing millions of dollars with local businesses.”

Transgrid’s construction partner SecureEnergy is building the 240-worker accommodation camp at Lockhart.

Facilities will include bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, fully functional kitchen and dining facility, gym, Wi-Fi, offices and areas for heavy vehicles and equipment. Workers are expected to occupy the camp in late May.

“Providing accommodation for our workforce is one of the first steps in constructing the eastern alignment to ensure personnel are safe and comfortable away from home,” Mr Taylor said.

“Ultimately, six workforce camps will be established along the EnergyConnect alignment, with a total of 1,387 beds.

“The camps will relieve pressure on limited housing and accommodation in local communities, reduce travel to construction sites, and ensure the health and wellbeing of workers with quality living amenities,” he said. 

Camps are also being built at Dinawan, near Coleambally, Renmark Road near Wentworth, and Cobbs Highway near Hay.

Transgrid will recycle at least 90 per cent of daily water usage at each camp for use as construction water for compaction of soil and dust suppression.

Next month crews will start work on access points for a major new substation at Dinawan, about 30km south of Coleambally, which will form the junction of a 330kV line from Buronga and a 500kV line from Wagga Wagga.

In another milestone for EnergyConnect, the first phase shifting transformer (PST) has arrived in Australia.

Subcontractor Hyosung has designed and built five PSTs, which are a specialised type of transformer that controls the flow of active power on transmission networks.

The first 374 tonne transformer has arrived in Adelaide and will be transported by road to Transgrid’s Buronga substation.

“These transformers will be a key part of the energy superhighway that will benefit millions of Australians and we’re excited to see the first of them arrive, especially as this will be the first 330kV PST installed in Australia,” Mr Taylor said.

Work is well underway on the 16ha substation which will be one of the biggest and most sophisticated substations in the Southern Hemisphere. The site will include the five phase shifting transformers, two synchronous condensers and four shunt reactors.

To find out more about EnergyConnect visit: www.transgrid.com.au/projects-innovation/energyconnect

EnergyConnect fast facts

• The $1.8 billion interconnector will enable the sharing of electricity between NSW, South Australia and Victoria for the first time, integrate renewable energy into the grid, and help Australia achieve its emissions reduction targets.
• Transgrid and its construction partner SecureEnergy are building the 700km NSW section of the project from Wagga Wagga to the South Australian border, with a connection to Red Cliffs in Victoria.
• Construction on the western alignment – from Buronga to South Australia – started mid last year and recently reached a major milestone with the first towers erected.
• The eastern alignment of the project comprises about 540km of new transmission line infrastructure and supporting substation construction and upgrades between Wagga and Buronga.
• EnergyConnect will save NSW customers $180 million per year or $64 per household, on average, as part of Transgrid’s broader efforts to put further downward pressure on customer bills.
• The project is creating up to 1,500 jobs, primarily in regional NSW, and contributing $4 billion in net economic benefits.

Transgrid media contact:

Mark Nolan 0429 047 136