Western Australia has locked in $342 million in contracts to upgrade the northern South West Interconnected System (SWIS).
The funding for key transmission infrastructure is set to enable an additional 1.4GW of renewable energy to flow into the grid.
The contracts were awarded to UGL Engineering, Acciona, and GenusPlus under the Clean Energy Link – North program, part of Western Power’s $584 million budget allocation.
The project includes 132kV and 330kV upgrades from Malaga to Three Springs, including a new 26.5-kilometre overhead transmission line between Wangara and Neerabup Terminal.
Scope of works includes new and upgraded terminals at Neerabup, Regans Ford, Three Springs and Eneabba, along with associated substation works and conversions of existing infrastructure.
These upgrades will significantly increase capacity to connect existing and new generation assets in the Mid West, where wind energy potential is strong but transmission constraints remain a key barrier.
The Clean Energy Link – North will make around 400MW of existing wind and a further 1GW of new renewables available to the SWIS, exceeding the combined capacity of the State’s two largest coal-fired generators, Muja D and Collie, which produce just under 750MW.
According to the WA Government, more than 400 jobs will be created through the project. It forms a key component of the State’s plan to phase out coal-fired power by 2030 and double renewable energy capacity in the grid.
“Clean Energy Link – North is pivotal and the start of our accelerated planning for future transmission corridors to unlock renewable energy across the State,” said Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson.
The broader energy network investment now totals $1.6 billion as part of WA’s grid decarbonisation and electrification agenda.