TransGrid Publishes Final Report: Supply to Newcastle (14 December 2007)

The Newcastle area and Mid North Coast area of NSW include the local government areas of Cessnock, Dungog, Gloucester, Great Lakes, Greater Taree, Kempsey, Maitland, Newcastle, Port Macquarie /Hastings and Port Stephens. They have a total population of around 510,000. The electrical load is characterised primarily by industrial, commercial and residential loads in the Greater Newcastle area and residential loads with some commercial, light industrial and rural loads on the Mid North Coast.

TransGrid and EnergyAustralia are proposing the construction of a new large transmission network asset that will address present and emerging network limitations in the Newcastle area and support the further development of electricity supply to the Mid North Coast. In accordance with clause 5.6.6(h) of the National Electricity Rules a final report has been prepared that applies the AER's regulatory test to a range of reasonable options to meet these requirements.

The proposed actions are that TransGrid and EnergyAustralia will execute the following works:

• Establishment of a new 330/132 kV substation at Tomago adjacent to TransGrid's Tomago 330?kV Switching Station, to be equipped with three 375 MVA 330/132 kV transformers
• Installation of a 330 kV busbar and second 375 MVA 330/132 kV transformer at TransGrid's Waratah West 330/132 kV substation
• Conversion of TransGrid's Newcastle ? Waratah West 132 kV circuit 95N to 330 kV operation
• Construction of three double circuit 132 kV lines from Tomago substation to suitable locations in the Newcastle area and rearrangements of 132 kV circuits to increase the capacity of the 132 kV transmission network in the area

They are estimated to cost around $90 million with the majority envisaged to be completed by summer 2011/12.

A copy of the final report can be downloaded from the Current Consultations page.