en.Wedoany.com Reported - APA Group has achieved a key milestone for its proposed Bulloo Interlink Pipeline (BIL) project, with sections in Queensland and New South Wales formally submitted to the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to initiate the federal environmental assessment process.
The submission is being reviewed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). APA Group is currently awaiting the review decision while continuing to advance environmental assessments, engineering design, and corridor selection. A final investment decision for the project is expected later this year.
The proposed underground high-pressure natural gas transmission pipeline will connect APA Group's South West Queensland Pipeline in Queensland with the Moomba to Sydney Pipeline in New South Wales. According to APA Group, the pipeline will create a new gas transmission corridor from Bulloo Shire in southwestern Queensland directly to New South Wales, shortening the north-south corridor by approximately 240 kilometers and expanding the capacity of its east coast gas network.
The Bulloo Interlink Pipeline is a key component of the third phase of APA Group's East Coast Gas Grid Expansion Plan. This phase is expected to increase north-south transmission capacity by approximately 30% to address potential natural gas supply shortages in southern markets from 2028 onward.
APA Group Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Adam Watson stated that the initiation of the environmental assessment process is a significant milestone for the project. Watson noted that this progress is a critical step in the ongoing expansion of the east coast gas network, and once completed, the BIL pipeline will play a key role in delivering more natural gas to southern demand centers, supporting energy security and transition through the end of this decade.
The Bulloo Interlink Pipeline is planned to commence construction in 2027, subject to obtaining relevant approvals and a final investment decision. The project targets completion by 2028, with a maximum north-south transmission capacity of 800 TJ/day.
