NSW greenlights 4.5-GW renewable power transmission project

The New South Wales government has awarded planning approval to a major infrastructure project to install new transmission lines that will enable the delivery of at least 4.5 GW of renewables capacity.

The Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) transmission project will help connect large-scale renewable energy facilities to the grid, driving up to AUD 20 billion (USD 13.36bn/EUR 12.42bn) in private investment in solar, wind and energy storage projects. The permit was issued with almost 100 conditions, the state government said on Thursday.

The planned infrastructure will consist of around 240 km of new lines that will be transmitting enough electricity to power 1.8 million homes in the Central-West Orana REZ. The zone, formally declared in November 2021, encompasses roughly 20,000 sq km and is expected to initially unlock roughly 3 GW of network capacity by the mid-2020s.

During peak construction, the transmission project will open around 5,000 jobs. Financial close for the scheme is planned to be reached in the second half of this year, with building works set to begin in late 2024. Initial operation of the new lines will commence 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,” said Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe.

(AUD 1.0 = USD 0.668/EUR 0.621)

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