en.Wedoany.com Reported - Australia's largest transmission project, EnergyConnect, has achieved a significant milestone, with the final section in New South Wales (NSW) completed and now energized.
The project connects New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia, aiming to increase renewable energy access and support grid reliability as coal-fired power plants gradually retire.
Transgrid and its delivery partner Elecnor Australia have completed construction of the 700-kilometer NSW section of the interconnector, which includes over 1,500 transmission towers and more than 10,000 kilometers of high-voltage conductors.
The final phase of the project is a 540-kilometer transmission line connecting Buronga to Wagga Wagga, which has now been energized following detailed commissioning and testing activities. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) is expected to begin interconnection network testing later in 2026 to verify the reliability and performance of the new infrastructure.
The first phase of EnergyConnect—a 160-kilometer transmission line linking the South Australian border, Buronga, and Victoria—was commissioned in 2025.
Transgrid Group Chief Executive Officer Brett Redman stated that the project is a crucial step in delivering the transmission infrastructure needed to support the transformation of Australia's energy mix.
"New South Wales is progressing well through a profound transition, and Transgrid has been advancing the delivery of over 2,000 kilometers of critical transmission lines that will provide millions of consumers with access to low-cost renewable energy," Redman said.
EnergyConnect is part of a broader suite of transmission projects under construction in New South Wales, aimed at connecting renewable energy generation and enhancing grid capacity.
Construction continues on the 365-kilometer HumeLink project, which will connect the Snowy 2.0 pumped storage hydropower scheme to the grid, while planning for the New South Wales section of the Victoria–New South Wales Interconnector West (VNI West) is also progressing.
Transgrid is also collaborating with government and industry to deliver additional transmission infrastructure to support renewable energy zones, enhance grid resilience, and provide new sources of system security.
"The energy transition is not a distant vision—it is an ongoing construction effort, and it is clearly achievable," Redman said.
"Transgrid is playing its part in strengthening the critical energy backbone—EnergyConnect is complete, HumeLink is progressing well, and the rest of the construction is moving forward rapidly."
Gordon Taylor, Executive General Manager of Major Projects at Transgrid, expressed gratitude to local communities and landowners for their contributions throughout the construction process, and praised the project team for overcoming significant delivery challenges.
"Building EnergyConnect was not easy; the project faced a series of challenges, including global supply chain impacts, labor shortages, record inflation, flooding, and the insolvency of one delivery partner," Taylor said.
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