EnergyConnect Construction – Trentham Cliffs to Sturt Highway
Elecnor Australia, on behalf of Transgrid, is installing overhead earth wire as part of the EnergyConnect project, connecting NSW, SA and Victoria grids.
Dates & times: Saturday 11 October–Tuesday 21 October 2025, 7am–6pm weekdays, 8am–1pm Saturdays. Some works outside these hours until December 2025.
What to expect: temporary stops for boats, increased construction vehicles and temporary traffic changes on the Sturt Highway, plus some light, noise and vibration from machinery.
For further details, view the construction notification.
SecureEnergy is doing its bit for the environment with its workforce participating in a popular recycling initiative.
SecureEnergy has been contracted by Transgrid to deliver part of EnergyConnect with the construction of 700km of new power lines from the SA border to the regional energy hub of Wagga Wagga.
At the Buronga camp near Wentworth, the team has recycled a whopping 29,000 eligible containers including cans, bottles and cartons as part of the NSW Government’s Return and Earn Container Deposit Scheme, preventing all those containers from ending up in landfill.
SecureEnergy Environment Manager, Catherine Curlewis said this is a fantastic result.
“The Environment team has worked hard at educating our workforce and making sure the recycling containers are accessible to everyone. As a result, we now want to give back to the local community,” said Ms Curlewis.
“We are looking at making a donation to a local based charity or not-for-profit organisation that focuses on re-vegetation using some of the funds received from the recycling program.”
Not-for-profit organisations are encouraged to contact SecureEnergy Environmental Manager Catherine Curlewis by email: ccurlewis@elecnor.es
SecureEnergy wishes to advise that works have started outside of approved construction hours on building a new access point on Arumpo Road, Buronga.
This new access point will enable additional access to the Buronga Substation site, which once completed, will be one of the world’s largest and most complex substations.
These works will occur at the same time as borrow pit works and the operation of the Buronga Camp and Laydown which are all located on the same area.
SecureEnergy has hit the ground running commencing one of the first milestones of the EnergyConnect Project with the construction of the first camp and laydown area in Buronga, NSW.
The camp and laydown area is nearly 30 hectares in size and when complete in early November will house up to 400 employees.
The site is currently being prepared to house 200 modules, with office space for 70 desks and a laydown yard that will hold site deliveries, general yard operations, a main office and a range of heavy vehicles.
The main office compound and camp buildings are already starting to roll in, with camp provider APC commencing deliveries from South Australia.
This camp is one of six camps and seven laydown areas that will accommodate over 1,450 staff for the 700km build.
Local communities from the SA border to Buronga can expect to see construction activities ramp up as SecureEnergy gets on with building Project EnergyConnect – Australia’s largest transmission line.
https://www.wentworth.nsw.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Camp-6-Forklift-dongas-scaled.jpg19202560Marketing & Communicationshttps://www.wentworth.nsw.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/wsc-logo-180.pngMarketing & Communications2022-07-20 14:24:212025-02-06 10:01:09SecureEnergy Milestone – First camp and laydown underway
Transgrid CEO Brett Redman, Elecnor CEO/Managing Director Joseph de Pedro, Clough Vice President NSW Paul Farris, Wentworth Shire Council Mayor Tim Elstone and Barkindji Maraura Elders Environment Team Senior Ranger Malcolm King turn the soil at the EnergyConnect project launch.
Wentworth Shire Council is excited for the continued economic boost to be brought about by Transgrid’s $1.8 billion EnergyConnect project, launched at Buronga on Tuesday.
More than 9000 kilometres of conductor cabling, enough to span from Sydney to Perth three times, will be used to deliver Australia’s largest electricity grid project which will enable the sharing of energy between New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria for the first time.
Wentworth Shire Council Mayor Tim Elstone lauded the project’s overall benefits for the Wentworth Shire region.
“We have seen Transgrid and SecureEnergy Joint Venture (who is undertaking the project’s construction) engage local businesses and communities for the project with a great number of contracts and tenders still to be awarded,” Mayor Elstone said.
“These opportunities, whether they have been for health screening, providing infrastructure or services or even accommodation, have been a great boost for the local economy at a time when things have been tough amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated impact.
“Transgrid has also provided more than $35,000 worth of grants to community and not for profit organisations in the Wentworth Shire since 2019 through its Community Partnerships Program which we are grateful for, helping these organisations to continue to function.”
Transgrid CEO Brett Redman joined local representatives in launching the project at Buronga, which included the use of digging sticks created by Barkindji Maraura Elders Environment Team Senior Ranger Malcolm King.
“EnergyConnect is a once in a generation transmission project that will help to revolutionise the National Electricity Market and we are really pleased to be getting underway with this critical infrastructure,” Mr Redman said.
“The project will be a key component of the future grid, which will enable the integration of renewable generation and support the decarbonisation of the nation’s economy.”
EnergyConnect is a 900km interconnector which will enable the sharing of energy between New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria for the first time.
Transgrid is building the 700km NSW section from the South Australian border to Wagga Wagga and South Australia’s ElectraNet has started building the remaining 200km from the border to Robertstown, SA
The construction of the eastern alignment, (Buronga to Wagga Wagga) is due to commence in 2023, with project delivery expected by 2024.
https://www.wentworth.nsw.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/DSC_0688-scaled.jpg17072560Marketing & Communicationshttps://www.wentworth.nsw.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/wsc-logo-180.pngMarketing & Communications2022-05-31 15:01:502025-02-06 10:02:06EnergyConnect project to deliver economic benefit to Wentworth Shire
