Acciona and its partner Genu have been selected by Transgrid, an Australian power grid operator in New South Wales, to be responsible for constructing the eastern section of the HumeLink transmission line.

The HumeLink transmission line involves an investment of AUD 1.4 billion and is one of the largest energy infrastructure projects in Australia. It includes the design and construction of 237 kilometers of 500kV overhead transmission lines from Banaby to Wangdarga, as well as the upgrading and renovation of the 500kV Banaby substation.

The project aims to reshape the electricity market in the region and improve transmission capacity between the southern part of New South Wales and major load centers such as Sydney, Newcastle, and Wollongong. It is said that the HumeLink transmission line can provide a low-cost, reliable, and sustainable power grid.

It increases the amount of renewable energy that can be distributed throughout the national power system to help Australia transition towards a low-carbon future. The project is expected to create more than 1600 job opportunities during the construction period.

Acciona stated in a statement that the HumeLink contract is divided into two stages, awaiting regulatory approval and a final investment decision. Early work will begin immediately and be completed by mid-2024, including detailed design, investigation, procurement, and project mobilization.

The second phase includes the main construction works, which will begin after all project approvals and final investment decisions are obtained, and is expected to take place in July 2024.

In November 2022, Acciona began developing a 1GW Herries Range wind farm in Australia with an investment of AUD 2 billion. With the addition of the Herries Range wind farm, the capacity of the MacIntyre wind farm area will expand to over 2GW.Editor/XingWentao