The new electricity transmission line to connect SA, VIC & NSW States

Elecnor Australia has partnered with Transgrid and is delivering the ongoing EnergyConnect project, one of Australia’s largest transmission line projects. The project involves the construction of new high-voltage transmission lines and associated infrastructure between NSW, VIC and SA.

In addition, it aims to enhance network reliability, integrate renewable energy sources, and improve energy connectivity between states. It’s an important project supporting Australia’s transition to a more sustainable and reliable energy system.

Once completed, EnergyConnect will enable the sharing of energy across NSW, SA and VIC, facilitating the connection of additional renewable generation capacity. The project managers installed construction cameras over the site and utilised the Evercam platform to enhance the visibility and management of this significant project.

Infrastructure Development

The project involves the development of new infrastructure for the South West NSW Renewable Energy Zone, which enables the connection of an additional 4950MW of generation capacity. The project began in November 2022, and is recognized as Critical State Significant Infrastructure by the NSW Government.

The project’s scope is extensive. It includes the construction of approximately 900 kilometres of new transmission lines across 3 states. The project team is expanding and upgrading the Buronga and Wagga substations. In addition, a new substation at Dinawan near Coleambally, NSW is being established to strengthen the infrastructure.

Due to the expansiveness of the project, the team positioned several construction cameras to ensure detailed monitoring and management of the site. These cameras captured important stages of substation construction, equipment installations, overnight foundation pours and logistics operations. Likewise, they monitored crew activities, aiding in safety compliance and workforce optimisation. This comprehensive site visibility was important for maintaining project oversight, safety, and efficiency. It has also helped show the workings of this incredible project to the community in an easy-to-understand visual representation.

Take a look at the construction progress from Sept 2022 to April 2024 at the EnergyConnect Site

Project Management and Communication

With the Evercam real-time progress monitoring platform installed on site, the project managers enabled:

Investor Updates: Generating time-lapse videos that document the progress of the project. These videos are important for keeping investors informed and engaged by visually demonstrating the ongoing developments and milestones.
Progress Tracking and Documentation: With 24/7 live view cameras, the project team is now better positioned for immediate progress reporting, as well as milestone progress checks, and security checks. This offers transparency and accountability to all stakeholders.
Enhanced Communication: Improving coordination by providing real-time visual updates that connect office teams and site personnel from various locations. This direct visual communication reduces the need for frequent site visits, saving time and resources. It ensures that all stakeholders are well-informed and aligned, streamlining project management.
Health and Safety Protocols: Health and safety are top priorities because the site deals with high voltage transmission. With live visibility, the health and safety personnel can conduct compliance checks to ensure the well-being of everyone on site
Community Engagement: The construction cameras help provide clear, up-to-date visual information about the changes and developments. This is important for maintaining public awareness and support.
Professionally Edited Videos: We produce bespoke, professionally edited videos by combining different camera views with drone footage from client drone flights. These videos provide a comprehensive and detailed view of the project’s progress.