Transgrid, the operator of the high-voltage electricity transmission network in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, has signed a $100 million contract with ZTT Australia for the delivery of over 17,500 km of high-voltage conductors.
The conductors will be manufactured in ZTT Group’s Helou manufacturing campus and will be delivered to Australia in 2024 and 2025.
The agreement is part of Transgrid’s Powering Tomorrow Together program which seeks to bundle procurement for major projects HumeLink, VNI West and EnergyConnect and allow the company to save up to $500 million.
“We continue to build our global supply chain to secure the specialised kit needed to build the future clean energy grid and ensure competitive and efficient delivery of the Federal Government’s energy plans,” said Brett Redman, CEO of Transgrid.
The program will enable Transgrid to purchase materials like substation equipment earlier and at a lower cost, allowing it access to limited resources for use in multiple projects. The orders are also supported by a $400 million federal government underwriting as part of the Rewiring the Nation program.
Transgrid is also finalising a separate contract with another Australian company to supply other locally produced conductor elements, according to Redman.
“Transgrid is investing $16.5 billion in transmission infrastructure in NSW over the next decade to accelerate the Federal Government’s vision. Our major transmission projects involve a long shopping list for big kit, and we are competing with the likes of Europe, the USA and the United Kingdom to secure highly sought-after slots on production lines,” said Craig Stallan, executive general manager at Transgrid, who travelled to Aisa to sign the agreement with ZTT Australia.
The new conductors will be used on HumeLink and VNI West.
“It’s also reducing risk as we compete with other energy companies and nations to secure critical, large-scale equipment, materials and skilled labour to deliver the projects Australia needs,” Stallan said.
Trangrid secured a total of 15 shunt reactors and 25 single-phase transformers worth approximately $150 million within 2023. These are expected to be delivered in late 2024.
