EnergyConnect has reached a major milestone, with construction complete and the final section of Australia’s largest transmission project now being energised.
The project will strengthen electricity transfer between New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, increasing access to renewable generation and supporting grid reliability as coal-fired power stations progressively retire.
Transgrid and delivery partner Elecnor Australia have completed construction of the 700km NSW section of the interconnector, which includes more than 1500 transmission towers and over 10,000km of high-voltage conductor.
The final stage of the project, a 540km transmission line between Buronga and Wagga Wagga, is now being energised following detailed commissioning and testing activities. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) is expected to begin inter-network testing later in 2026 to verify the reliability and performance of the new infrastructure.
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The first stage of EnergyConnect, a 160km transmission line linking the South Australian border, Buronga and Victoria, became operational in 2025.
Transgrid Group chief executive officer Brett Redman said the project represents a significant step in the delivery of the transmission infrastructure needed to support Australia’s changing energy mix.
“NSW is well advanced in the deep transition, and Transgrid has been getting on with the job of delivering more than 2000km of critical transmission lines that will provide millions of consumers with access to lower-cost renewable energy,” Redman said.
EnergyConnect forms part of a broader suite of transmission projects being delivered across NSW to connect renewable energy generation and strengthen network capacity.
Construction is continuing on the 365km HumeLink project, which will connect the Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro scheme to the grid, while planning progresses for the NSW section of the Victoria–New South Wales Interconnector West (VNI West).
Transgrid is also working with governments and industry to deliver additional transmission infrastructure that will support renewable energy zones, increase network resilience and provide new sources of system security.
“The energy transition is not a distant ambition – it is a build that is happening now – and it is demonstrably achievable,” Redman said.
“Transgrid is playing our part to strengthen the critical energy backbone – EnergyConnect is done, HumeLink is well underway, and the rest of the build is moving at pace.”
Transgrid executive general manager – major projects Gordon Taylor acknowledged the contribution of local communities and landowners throughout construction and praised the project team for overcoming significant delivery challenges.
“Construction of EnergyConnect has not been easy, with the project facing a range of challenges from global supply chain impacts, labour shortages, record inflation, flooding and the insolvency of a delivery partner,” he said.
