The Powerlink-led CopperString 2032 project, formerly known as CopperString 2.0, initially involves building 840 kilometres of new electricity transmission line from just south of Townsville in the Burdekin region to Mount Isa that will connect Queensland’s North West Minerals Province (NWMP) to the National Electricity Market. The CopperString project comprises the delivery of:
- 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission line from just south of Townsville to Hughenden
- 330kV transmission line from Hughenden to Cloncurry
- 220kV transmission line from Cloncurry to Mount Isa
- up to six new substation sites, and
- workforce accommodation and facilities in strategic locations along the corridor.
Key Dates
| Jul 2019 | Project Announcement |
| Feb 2020 | EOIs Open |
| Mar 2021 | ECI contract awarded |
| Mar 2023 | Queensland Government acquisition of the project |
| 2024 | Construction Commencement |
| 2029 | Expected Construction Completion |
Funding contributions
| Federal Government | |
| Queensland Government | |
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The Queensland Government has acquired the project and announced it will be delivered by Government-owned Powerlink. The Queensland Government has announced a $1.3 billion funding package to progress early and enabling works for the project. It is unclear whether the $1.3 billion in funding is being derived from Queensland’s general government sector as grant funding, state-owned corporation borrowings, an equity injection, or retained dividends funded by Powerlink through user charges. The 2020-21 Federal Budget also provided up to $134.7 million over four years from FY2020-21 to increase transmission and generation capacity. An unspecified portion of this funding will be allocated to the CopperString project. |
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Financing
| Debt Finance: | Korea Zinc Company Limited |
Procurement
| Successful Tenderer: | ECI: UGL and CPB Contractors |
| Procurement note: | Subject to completion of the ECI contract and achievement of approvals and financing, UGL and CPB Contractors are also the preferred contractors to deliver the EPC contract of the project. |
| Related contracts: |
PROJECT HISTORY
| Jul 2019 | The Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility announced it was undertaking due diligence for the project. The project proponent applied for a loan from NAIF for up to $1 billion. |
| Feb 2020 | CuString requested Expressions of Interest for the delivery of the CopperString project. |
| May 2020 | The Queensland Government announced conditional funding to accelerate project as part of government's COVID-19 economic recovery plan. |
| Oct 2020 | The 2020-21 Federal Budget allocated an unspecified portion of funding to the CopperString project. |
| Jan 2021 | The Federal Government announced funding support to progress the project to Final Investment Decision. The Queensland Government also announced a financing agreement with Korea Zinc Company Limited. |
| Mar 2021 | CuString awarded the Early Contractor Involvement contract for the project to UGL and CPB Contractors. Subject to completion of the ECI contract and achievement of approvals and financing, UGL and CPB Contractors are also the preferred contractors to deliver the EPC contract of the project. |
| Nov 2022 | The Federal Government granted approval to the project under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth). |
| Mar 2023 | The Queensland Government announced it would acquire the CopperString project from CuString, announced a cost increase from $2.5 billion to $5 billion and expanded scope of works. The capacity of the transmission link between Townsville and Hughenden was increased from a 330-kV line to a 500-kV line. Queensland Government-owned Powerlink will deliver the project. |
| Jun 2023 | Powerlink awarded CIMIC Group’s UGL and CPB Contractors a $20 million early works contract for the project, which includes detailed engineering design, field surveys, geotechnical surveys, and geotechnical works. |
| Sep 2023 | Powerlink and construction partners UGL and CPB Contractors have called for Expressions of Interest to deliver forty minor work packages for the CopperString transmission project. |
| Oct 2023 | The Queensland Government announced a $1.3 billion funding package to progress early and enabling works for the project. The initial $1.3 billion funding package will progress design, engineering and environmental assessments, as well as securing easements along the project’s route. It is unclear whether the $1.3 billion in funding is being derived from Queensland’s general government sector as grant funding, state-owned corporation borrowings, an equity injection, or retained dividends funded by Powerlink through user charges. |
| Dec 2023 | CopperString is listed as an 'committed and actionable' project in the draft 2024 ISP, after not being included in the 2022 ISP. |
| Jul 2024 | The Queensland Government announced that construction works had commenced on the project, with the first and largest workforce accommodation site now underway. ATCO Structures was delivering the workforce accommodation, which was due to be complete by early 2025. The workforce accommodation at Richmond was expected to commence in September 2024, and construction of the high voltage transmission line expected to begin in mid-2025. |
2021/03/01 CIMIC'S UGL and CPB Contractors secure ECI contract for CopperString
2019/07/02 NAIF progresses project to due diligence
2020/02/11 EOIs released
2020/05/19 $14.8 million Qld Gov funding
2021/01/20 $11 million Federal Gov funding
2021/01/28 $17 million financing agreement with Korea Zinc Company Limited
2023/06/22 UGL and CPB Contractors awarded early works extension
2023/10/30 $1.3 billion in Qld Gov funding (Gov release)
2023/10/30 $1.3 billion in Qld Gov funding (Powerlink release)
2024/07/09 - Workforce accommodation commencement
