Australia’s largest transmission project, EnergyConnect, has marked a significant milestone with the connection of the first section of the new Buronga substation in south-western New South Wales to South Australia.
The 16ha Buronga substation in south-western NSW is the main hub for the 900km EnergyConnect project, which will connect New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.
Related article: EnergyConnect reaches milestone with first line completed
The first 220kV section of the new substation has been connected to the existing Buronga substation, which will allow power to flow across the new backbone of EnergyConnect.
A new double-circuit 330kV transmission line stretching 135km from Buronga to the South Australian border has been constructed and is ready to be connected to South Australia for testing.
Transgrid CEO Brett Redman said, “This is another significant step forward for energy consumers and for the broader electricity grid. We are getting on with the job of delivering this nation-critical project which will give millions of consumers access to more reliable, clean, and affordable energy.
“EnergyConnect will allow us to move renewable energy between NSW, South Australia, and Victoria to where and when it is needed, which will help make our energy system more secure.
“We would like to thank the broader EnergyConnect, Transgrid and Elecnor teams for the thousands of hours of hard work that have gone into this moment, and everyone involved should be very proud of this achievement.”
Related article: Transgrid calls for unified approach in energy transition
Buronga substation will be one of the largest and most sophisticated substations in the southern hemisphere and includes five phase-shifting transformers, two synchronous condensers and four shunt reactors.
This equipment will keep the electricity grid stable and allow renewable energy to be transferred between states, which will help provide cost of living relief by delivering access to cheaper clean energy.
