BACK TO RESULTSCentral-West Orana REZ Transmission Project
PIPELINE
STATUS
Prospective pipeline
Credibly proposed
Announced
Under procurement
Preferred bidder announced
Recently closed
Prospective pipeline
Greenfield (construction) or brownfield (government asset divestment) projects needed or likely to occur within the next five years, but is not formally proposed by a state, territory or major local government.
Credibly proposed
The project or divestment is supported by a state, territory or major local government, is subject to studies or other processes (such as pre-feasibility or scoping studies or business case development), and is likely to proceed to formal announcement.
Announced
The project has a firm commitment and timeline from a state, territory or major local government, but has not yet entered the market.
Under procurement
The project or transaction is under procurement (such as a call for Expressions of Interest, requests for tender, or another offer to the market).
Preferred bidder announced
A preferred bidder has been selected and is in exclusive negotiations.
Recently closed
Projects that have progressed to contractual close remain on ANZIP for 12 months.
ANZIP is focused only on major infrastructure activity, above the following thresholds:
Australia
Construction projects: > AUD$300m
Investable greenfield & brownfield: > AUD$100m
New Zealand
All greenfield and brownfield projects and divestments: > NZD $100 million
Project scope
The proposed transmission project aims to support the delivery of a pilot Renewable Energy Zone (REZ ) in New South Wales's Central-West Orana region. Transmission lines will run north-west from the existing network near Merriwa, passing south of Dunedoo before connecting to the existing network east of Wellington. The project also includes proposed substation and related infrastructure upgrades.
Key features of the transmission project include:
- a 3,000 megawatt network capacity
- a 330 kilovolt (kV) transmission line backbone loop with 500 kV sections, and
- substations and switching hubs.
Key Dates
Late 2022: Expected construction commencement
Funding
Federal Government: $5 million
The Federal Government, through ARENA, has committed $5 million towards a $16.2 million feasibility study, to be undertaken by Transgrid, which will assess the technical and commercial options for the development of new high voltage transmission lines to enable the REZ.
Project History
Dec 2020: The Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) Transmission Project was declared a Critical State Significant Infrastructure by the New South Wales Government.
Jul 2020: In its 2020 Integrated System Plan, AEMO identified the Central-West Orana REZ Transmission Project as a critical project and provided updated costings for the project. The ISP estimates that the Transmission Link component of the Central-West Orana REZ has a cost of between $450 million and $850 million, with a modelled cost of $650 million.
June 2020: On behalf of the Australian Government, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) committed $5 million in funding to TransGrid to conduct a detailed feasibility study for the project.
Mar 2021: The NSW Government released the Central-West Orana REZ Access Scheme Issues Paper for public consultation. The Paper identifies the key features of the REZ's transmission project, with submissions in response to the Issues Paper closing on 30 April 2021.
Last reviewed: 26/03/2021
