The NSW section of VNI West is approximately 235 kilometres of 500 kilovolt transmission line between the Kerang Substation and connecting with Project EnergyConnect at the Dinawan power station in NSW.
The project would also include:
- augmentation of an 11-kilometre section of an existing transmission line between the Wagga Wagga substation and the new Gugaa substation proposed as part of the HumeLink project
- expansion of the Dinawan 330kV substation to include two 330kV bays and a 500kV switchyard
- connection and line diversion works of the existing transmission lines at the Dinawan, Wagga Wagga, and new Gugaa substations to allow for connection, and
- ancillary works including upgrades to existing lines, temporary and permanent access roads, and communication facilities.
Key Dates
| Dec 2027 | Expected Construction Commencement |
| Dec 2030 | Expected Construction Completion |
Financing
| Debt Finance: | Clean Energy Finance Corporation (early works - NSW section) |
Procurement
| Procuring Agency: | Transgrid |
PROJECT HISTORY
| Dec 2023 | Transgrid submitted Stage 1 (Early Works) Contingent Project application to the AER. The application identifies that total capex for early works on the NSW section are forecast at $1.1 billion. This includes $793 for procurement activities, $98 million for acquiring transmission line easements, and $206 million for labour and indirect capex. The expected completion date for the early works is 2026. |
| Jan 2024 | The Draft Route Report for the NSW section of VNI West was released for consultation, closing 4 March. |
| Feb 2024 | The Australian Energy Regulator commenced public consultation on the Stage One Contingent Project Application for early works of the project. The document included forecast capital costs for Stage One of $1.1 billion. The application was submitted by Transgrid in December 2023, with responses closing 1 March 2024. |
| Mar 2024 | Transgrid has released its Preferred Route Report for the NSW component of the Victoria to NSW Interconnector West project. The Report responds to feedback on the Draft Route Report released in January, and includes modifications to move the proposed transmission line further north of the Moulamein township and widen the route by up to three kilometres at the eastern end near Dinawan. |
| May 2024 | The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) released their cost determination for recovery of Stage One early works costs - NSW Section. Transgrid can recover $949 million over four years from FY2022-23 to FY2025-26. The determination also included a cost update for the total project of $3.97 billion. |
| May 2024 | Transgrid published a Scoping Report for the NSW section project, requesting the Secretary's Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs). |
| May 2024 | The NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure issued updated SEARs for the project. |
| Aug 2024 | Transgrid published an Addendum Scoping Report for the NSW section of the project, which adjusted the proposal corridor, but did not change conclusions presented in the initial Scoping Report. |
| Oct 2024 | The Planning Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements were published for the project. |
| Oct 2024 | Transgrid has identified its proposed transmission line corridor for the NSW component of VNI West between the Dinawan substation, currently under construction as part of Project EnergyConnect, and the Murray River, north of Kerang. Following consultation, the 200-metre wide corridor will be refined to a 70-metre final easement where the transmission line will be located. |
| Mar 2025 | The project was included in the Federal Government's inaugural Renewable Energy Priority List. The Priority List aims to provide coordinated support through Federal, state and territory regulatory and environmental approval processes on a case-by-case basis and provide a 'faster to yes, faster to no' approach to regulatory approvals. |
| May 2025 | The NSW Government issued updated SEARs for the Victoria-NSW Interconnector West - NSW Section. |
| Jul 2025 | The NSW Government has released the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Victoria to NSW Interconnector West (VNI West) – NSW Section for public consultation. Last week, Transgrid released an updated cost estimate of $3.7 billion for VNI West NSW and a revised two stage delivery approach with stage one due to be complete in 2029 and stage two in 2030. |
| Jul 2025 | Transgrid has released an updated staged delivery schedule for the NSW Section. Transgrid advised that the NSW section will now be delivered in a staged approach. The first stage will see the extension of the 500-kilovolt network through to Dinawan substation, with completion expected by early 2029. Stage Two will see the project constructed from Dinawan to Kerang at the Victorian border and is expected to be complete by 2030. The delivery schedule was revised to align with the updated timeline of the Victorian Section announced in June, whereby construction commencement for the Victorian section was delayed from 2026 to 2027 and construction completion delayed from 2028 to 2030. Transgrid also announced that the cost of the NSW section had increased from $1.7 billion to $3.7 billion. |
Estimated Total Cost
(2025)
Sector
Energy
Procurement approach
Unconfirmed |
Location
New South Wales |
Resources
