Downer awarded major South Australian energy project contract

Downer has been awarded a $200 million contract from AlectraNet to construct high-voltage transmission lines between New South Wales and South Australia, as part of the EnergyConnect project.

The project will connect South Australia and New South Wales’ power grids and will involve the construction of a new 330 kilovolt above-ground transmission line between Robertstown in South Australia and Wagga Wagga in New South Wales.

Downer’s contribution to the project will include the design, procurement and construction of a 330kV transmission line between Bundey Substation and the South Australian and New South Wales border, as well as a 275kV transmission line between Bundey Substation and the existing Robertstown Substation.

Downer will commence major construction in 2022, with the transmission line set to be commissioned in 2023.

Chief Executive Officer of Downer, Grant Fenn, said the project would be an important contribution to the energy capabilities of both states.

“Downer is pleased to be involved in this critical infrastructure project which will improve power security and reliability to South Australia and the National Electricity Market as a whole,” Fenn said.

ElectraNet and TransGrid are partneringto deliver an energy interconnector between the power grids of South
Australia and New South Wales, with an added connection to Victoria.

Project EnergyConnect forms a central feature of the roadmap for the transition of the power system developed by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) in its 2020 Integrated System Plan (ISP).

The ISP classifies Project EnergyConnect as an ‘actionable ISP project’ which will deliver net market benefits and support energy market transition.

ElectraNet and TransGrid have both lodged their Contingent Project Applications (CPA), or funding applications, with the Australian Energy Regulator (AER). The CPA is the final step in the project’s regulatory approval process.