Hunter Transmission Project

Design and construction contractors shortlisted

To support the delivery of the Hunter Transmission Project, EnergyCo has commenced a procurement process for design and construction contractors.  

Following a competitive expression of interest process that was launched earlier this year, EnergyCo has shortlisted a number of contractors to participate in the tender processes for two work packages. The two work packages are: 

• the transmission line package, and  
• the substations/switching stations package.  

A total of seven contractors have been shortlisted to be invited to participate in the tender phase. The shortlisted contractors across the two packages are:  

Transmission line package

• Acciona Genus Joint Venture  
• Downer Utilities Australia Pty Ltd  
• Gamuda Seymour Whyte Joint Venture  
• UGL Engineering CPB Contractors Joint Venture  

Substation package  

• Acciona Genus Joint Venture  
• Consolidated Power Projects Australia Pty Ltd  
• UGL Engineering Pty Ltd  

We are now working to prepare request for tender packages that will be shared with shortlisted contractors in early 2025. It is expected that the contract will be awarded in 2026.  

EnergyCo is encouraging contractors to partner with local businesses to facilitate the delivery of the HTP.  

EnergyCo has facilitated the development of a local supplier database that will be included in the tender documents for provision to shortlisted contractors.  

Under the First Nations Guidelines, tenderers will also be required to provide Aboriginal Participation Plans demonstrating how they will use local Aboriginal businesses, skills and workforce. 

Businesses can still register their interest in participating in the HTP by registering on the ICN gateway. This directory will be provided to the tenderers. 

Environmental impact statement (EIS) to be lodged in 2025

The HTP is currently in the planning phase and EnergyCo is in the process of preparing a detailed environmental impact statement (EIS) in line with the State significant infrastructure guidelines.

We now anticipate lodging the EIS in mid-2025.  

Ongoing feedback from landowners and community groups is an important consideration for this revised timeline. In particular, the project team is working with a small number of landowners to further improve the corridor where it crosses private land in HTP North and Central.  

An EIS provides information on the economic, environmental, and social impacts of a project. This helps the community, government agencies and the approval authority make informed submissions and decisions about the project.

The HTP is a critical State significant project and delivering it in a region as diverse as the Hunter is technically complex. Impacts are being carefully considered and assessed as part of the EIS process.

We’ll continue to provide regular updates on the project and planning process.

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In a region as diverse as the Hunter it is difficult to find a suitable route between Bayswater and Eraring.

To guide this search, we developed strategic objectives for the project:

• maximise the use of power station and mine-owned land, suitable public land and existing transmission easements  
• minimise significant land use conflicts and impacts on people and the environment  
• minimise hazards and risks  
• build community support  
• deliver the project on time at a reasonable cost to consumers.

We then carried out extensive investigations to identify where the HTP could be located. This included detailed electricity system planning, strategic land use planning, engineering and environmental studies (bushfire, biodiversity, heritage and visual) and consultation with key stakeholders such as local councils.  

Initially, we divided the Hunter into 3 broad strategic corridors (northern, central and southern) and examined the suitability of each corridor. We rejected the northern and central corridors as they would both result in significant land use conflicts and impacts to people in the urban areas between Singleton and Newcastle as well as the Pokolbin wine/tourist area.  

Using the northern corridor would also involve building a much longer and more expensive transmission line. This led us to examine multiple options in the southern corridor. 

Using the strategic objectives, we assessed and rejected a number of alternative options for the HTP preliminary corridor.  

The existing 330 kV transmission easement between Bayswater and Richmond Vale  

This option would be more expensive because the existing lines would need to be taken down and rebuilt to create space for the HTP. It would also take longer, ruling out any likelihood of delivering the HTP by early 2028. This is because the existing lines are essential for supplying electricity to Newcastle, making it difficult to secure the outages needed to construct the new transmission line. Finally, it would increase energy security risks in NSW by concentrating all electricity supply between Bayswater and Newcastle in a single easement.  

Next to the existing 330 kV transmission easement  

This option would cause significant land use conflicts in the Pokolbin wine/tourist area. It would also cause extensive clearing of endangered valley floor vegetation. This includes the Warkworth Sands Woodland and Central Hunter Valley Eucalyptus Forest and Woodland in areas such as the Singleton Military Area, Werakata State Conservation Area (SCA) and Werakata National Park.  

The bushland to the south of the Pokolbin wine/tourist area  

This option would result in even greater clearing of endangered valley floor vegetation in the Werakata SCA and Werakata National Park. This vegetation provides critical habitat for several threatened species such as the Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater. This option would also cause significant landscape-wide visual impacts in the rural-residential areas around Ellalong and Quorrobolong.  

The valley further south of the Pokolbin wine/tourist area  

This option would result in significant land use conflicts with the growing residential areas around Millfield and Mount View. It would also cause significant landscape wide visual impacts in the rural-residential areas around Ellalong and Quorrobolong.