NSW’s renewable transmission project
The transmission lines will enable the delivery of 4.5 GW of renewables capacity.
Image for illustration purposes.
Australia, New South Wales: The New South Wales government has given planning approval to a major infrastructure project to install transmission lines which will enable the delivery of 4.5 GW of renewables capacity. The Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) project will help connect large-scale renewable energy facilities to the grid, driving up to AU$20 billion ($13.36 billion/€12.42 billion) in private investment in solar, wind and energy storage projects. The permit was issued with almost 100 conditions.
The project will consist of about 240 km of transmission lines. The lines will transmit enough electricity to supply 1.8 million homes in the Central-West Orana REZ, which was formally declared in November 2021 and encompasses roughly 20000 km2. The zone could initially unlock 3 GW of network capacity by the middle of the decade.
The project will open about 5000 jobs during peak construction. Financial close for the scheme is set to be reached in the second half of 2024, and building works should start late in the year. Initial operation of the new lines will begin in 2028.
“This is the first REZ Transmission Project in the country to obtain planning approval, paving the way for a significant boost in renewable energy generation to replace aging coal-fired power stations,” commented Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe.
Source: Renewables Now
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