Australia's Marinus Link 750MW Construction Begins, Completion by 2030

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Marinus Link electricity and data interconnection project connecting Tasmania and Victoria has officially broken ground, with construction activities for the first-stage 750 MW line accelerating.

Stage one of Marinus Link is scheduled for completion by the end of 2030. The route starts at Heybridge near Burnie in northwestern Tasmania, runs 255 km undersea across Bass Strait to Waratah Bay on the southern coast of Victoria, and then continues via 90 km of underground cable to the Latrobe Valley.

The new interconnector has 50% more capacity than the existing Basslink interconnector and allows electricity to flow in both directions across Bass Strait.

Marinus Link Chair Sandra Gamble said that as a bidirectional interconnector, Marinus Link will allow electricity to flow in either direction, enhancing the flexibility, reliability and resilience of the National Electricity Market, making full use of hydro, wind and solar resources, and driving new investment in industry and power generation.

Marinus Link is part of the broader Project Marinus, which also includes the interdependent North West Transmission Developments (NWTD). NWTD will significantly upgrade the electricity network in northwestern Tasmania to increase transmission capacity, support renewable energy growth, and enable connection with Marinus Link.

The overall project will build approximately 240 km of new and upgraded overhead transmission lines. Stage one includes 129 km of new and upgraded transmission lines from Cressy to Burnie, as well as upgrades to key substations and the construction of a new switching station. The first part of the NWTD project is expected to enter service in 2030.

Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen said that Marinus Link and NWTD together form a critical part of national energy infrastructure, enabling all east coast states to better utilise renewable energy and helping maintain energy system reliability as ageing coal-fired power stations retire. He noted that the link is bidirectional, allowing Tasmania to use cheap mainland solar and wind power to conserve water in its dams, and then send hydroelectricity back when it is most needed. This benefits Tasmania's energy security as well as the rest of the national grid, delivering cleaner electricity where and when it is needed.

Marinus Link is jointly owned by the federal, Tasmanian and Victorian governments. The NWTD project is being implemented by TasNetworks, the transmission and distribution network operator owned by the Tasmanian government. Project Marinus is expected to create approximately 2,400 jobs and A$2.4 billion in investment.