Funding for New England transmission infrastructure
Australia's ARENA is providing $995,000 to fund TransGrid’s transmission capacity feasibility study in New South Wales’ New England region.
Image for illustration purposes
Australia: The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing $995,000 to fund TransGrid’s transmission capacity feasibility study in New South Wales’ New England region.
The $3.45 M study will develop, test and deliver a technical design and commercial process for the development of the New England Transmission Infrastructure (NETI).
ARENA’s funding will support the initial development phase for a new transmission line between Tamworth and Gunnedah.
The NETI would include a 330 kV line and new substation east of Gunnedah and would allow for connection of an additional 1,400 MW of renewable energy peak generation capacity to the grid within the next three to five years.
ARENA’s funding will also help to facilitate the demonstration of an innovative unregulated transmission development model that can unlock additional private investment in transmission infrastructure to support new large scale renewable energy investment, and further inform regulatory reform and market design.
ARENA CEO, Darren Miller, said, “This study will support and unlock more large scale renewable energy projects in the New England region in northern New South Wales.”
In June 2020, ARENA also announced funding for TransGrid to undertake a scoping study to develop the Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) with the New South Wales Government.
The New South Wales Government has also announced $79 M in support for grid infrastructure to unlock up to a further 8 GW of large scale generation in the wider New England region as part of its REZ strategy.
“Together, these TransGrid studies will provide two test cases for developing future renewable energy zones and the transmission infrastructure needed to support them,” Mr Miller said.
Federal Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Angus Taylor, said the study would look to leverage more private investment in energy infrastructure across New South Wales, which will help secure the region’s energy needs for the next decade and beyond.
As part of the study, TransGrid is currently seeking expressions of interest (EOI) from renewable energy companies with large scale generation projects in the New England region.
The new transmission infrastructure in the state’s north-west will host 1,400 MW capacity and is one of three NSW energy zones presenting potential large scale generation options.
The New England Connection Capacity Auction process will be managed by MUFG on behalf of TransGrid Services.
Expressions of Interest in the NETI are due by 29 July 2020.
Source: Energy Magazine