Marinus Link has been granted the first Transmission and Infrastructure Licence (TIL) under Australia’s new offshore infrastructure scheme, marking the final Commonwealth approval required before construction can begin.
Marinus Link is a proposed 345km undersea and underground electricity and data interconnector between North West Tasmania and the Latrobe Valley in Victoria.
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Marinus Link’s 1500MW capacity is equal to the power supply for 1.5 million Australian homes and approximately three times the capacity of the existing Tasmania to Victoria interconnector, Basslink.
Marinus Link CEO Stephanie McGregor said the TIL licence was a significant step forward for the project.
“The Transmission and Infrastructure licence is one of the final permits ahead of construction, allowing electricity to be transmitted through Commonwealth waters and providing protection over the subsea cable route,” she said.
“It is the first TIL granted under the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021—the national regime designed to support offshore renewable energy and transmission infrastructure in Commonwealth waters.
“We’ve worked collaboratively with the registrar in supporting the new framework, and we’re proud to have helped pave the way for the emerging offshore electricity sector.”
Marinus Link will now progress its design notification and develop a management plan setting out how activities will be safely and responsibly managed from construction and operation through to maintenance, repair, and eventual decommissioning.
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It will enable the flow of more electricity in both directions, delivering affordable, reliable and clean energy for customers in the National Electricity Market (NEM).
Preparatory works on Marinus Link commenced this year, with construction to ramp up over the coming months.
