Australia, Buronga: The largest and most complex substation in the Southern Hemisphere has been completed in south west New South Wales as part of Project EnergyConnect. The new 900 km transmission line will link the energy grids of South Australia, Victoria, and NSW.
Buronga substation will act as the main hub for the project, which is designed to strengthen the National Electricity Market as coal-fired stations close and renewables expand. Once the final 540 km line from Buronga to Wagga Wagga is completed, substation capacity will increase from 150 MW to 800 MW.
“EnergyConnect is critical to improving the reliability and security of the National Electricity Market as coal-fired power stations retire,” said Gordon Taylor, executive general manager of major projects at Transgrid.
The Buronga site is the first in the world to run five phase-shifting transformers in parallel, enhancing grid stability, boosting load sharing, and cutting congestion.
Covering 15 ha, the site is the size of 21 soccer fields and includes 24,000 m3 of concrete along with advanced electrical equipment such as synchronous condensers, shunt reactors, capacitor banks, and multiple transformers.
Taylor described the facility as “a true feat in design, engineering, construction, and commissioning.”
Source: Renew Economy
