As TasNetworks refurbishes an ageing, 71km-long transmission corridor in Tasmania’s north-west, the next-generation of workers are getting their chance.
As Australia accelerates its energy transition, much of the focus is on new generation and storage. Less visible and glamorous, but just as critical, is the condition and capability of the transmission network carrying that energy.
Across the National Electricity Market (NEM), infrastructure built for a centralised generation system is now required to support more variable generation, changing power flows and increasing operational complexity.
In Tasmania’s north-west, that challenge is playing out along one of the state’s key transmission corridors.
Constructed in 1949, the Burnie–Port Latta–Smithton 110kV line extends around 71km and comprises 287 structures. The line supports major industrial load, connects wind generation, and supplies regional communities including Smithton and Stanley.
More than 75 years on, many of those structures are approaching end of life. For the past three years, TasNetworks set forward to address asset condition risk with an annual program of tower upgrades.
For TasNetworks interim chief executive officer Renée Anderson, the focus is on maintaining system reliability.
“More than ever, network operators must balance maintaining asset integrity with preparing for future system requirements,” Anderson told Energy. “The strength and condition of these assets is fundamental to maintaining reliable supply to critical industry, generators and regional communities.”
Modern design
Located on Tasmania’s coast, the primary driver for the upgrades is condition. The existing structures have been subject to sustained corrosion exposure, detected during annual network inspections.
Rather than replacing structures on a like-for-like basis, with the support of Tasmanian power consultants Entura, TasNetworks has been introducing a new family of suspension and strain poles designed to current engineering standards and intended for broader application across the network. Entura reviewed existing loads and insulator swings in each transmission line and completed the preliminary and detailed design for replacement of the towers.
The new structures, approximately one metre taller than the towers they replace, will provide another 70+ years of reliable service to Tasmania’s power grid.
TasNetworks head of asset management Josh Cunningham said the approach balances current requirements with future flexibility.
“These structures don’t increase capacity today, but the design could accommodate future conductor upgrades if required, giving us the ability to respond to changes in load, generation and power flows,” he told Energy.
Progressive replacement
The delivery model undertaken over the past three years reflects the line’s operational constraints.
The transmission corridor cannot be taken out of service without impacting industrial load, connected generation and regional supply, which means all works are undertaken while maintaining one circuit in service. This approach supports system reliability requirements, while enabling progressive replacement of structures.
Across a two-day sequence, one circuit is de-energised and transferred to a newly installed pole and re-energised. The second circuit is then de-energised and transferred, allowing the original structure to be removed and the new configuration brought fully into service. Under favourable conditions, crews – brought in from across Tasmania – can replace up to three structures per day.
Cunningham said the process requires tight coordination across multiple functions.
“You’re working in close proximity to live circuits that are maintaining supply,” he said. “There is very little tolerance for error. Teams and crews across the organisation tackle short time windows to plan, coordinate and execute outages, with outstanding outcomes for Tasmania.”
With real-time execution managed via control rooms in Hobart and field operators on the ground performing switching, additional maintenance is undertaken down the line to boost efficiency during outage windows.
Operational execution
March and April generally offer an ideal window for structure replacements, though operations may still be paused when weather conditions exceed safety thresholds.
Beyond these constraints, the project highlights the level of coordination and skill required to deliver transmission upgrades while maintaining supply.
At any given time, multiple teams are working in parallel. TasNetworks head of operations delivery Brad Walker said projects like this trigger an important environment for capability uplift.
“Field crews, control rooms, switching personnel, engineers and planners are all playing a role in ensuring the system remains stable,” he said. “These are the types of projects where our people develop critical skills.
“You’re working with tight delivery windows, and coordinating with multiple teams and stakeholders. That experience is incredibly valuable.”
On-site during this year’s upgrade window, that capability growth was already visible.
Among the crews were apprentices at the very early stages of their careers, including one who had been with the business for just one month, working alongside experienced lineworkers to carry out the upgrade.
“There’s nothing quite like seeing our people in action, passing on knowledge and young apprentices tackling big, complex jobs with enthusiasm,” Walker said.
“In a growing energy industry, particularly in Tasmania, building that capability locally is essential. These projects give our people the opportunity to develop the skills needed to support the next generation of network infrastructure.”
Only three years into the Burnie–Port Latta–Smithton program, the upgrades will continue over the next decade to upgrade all 279 structures.
The big picture
Transmission is a key enabler of the transition, with increased interconnection and network resilience required to support more geographically dispersed and variable generation.
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has highlighted this shift in its draft 2026 Integrated System Plan, pointing to greater interconnection and increasingly dynamic power flows across the National Electricity Market, including via Project Marinus.
As Tasmania’s only DNSP and TNSP, TasNetworks balances investment in capital upgrades, major projects, and capacity to plan and react quickly when unplanned network outages occur.
In the same region, the North West Transmission Developments (NWTD) will upgrade key 220kV pathways between Palmerston (near Cressy) and Burnie, enabling connection to the 345km, 1500MW Marinus Link interconnector and supporting increased energy transfer between Tasmania and Victoria.
The sustained direction of the energy transition will continue to place greater importance on the condition and capability of existing transmission assets, which underpin both current operations and future network expansion.
“Tasmania has a unique opportunity to play a leading role in the National Electricity Market, but that relies on a transmission network that is robust, flexible and future-ready,” Anderson said.
“Projects like Marinus Link and the NWTD are critical to unlocking that potential.”
This feature appeared in the June edition of Energy.
