Transgrid’s EnergyConnect project is well underway, with over 820 individual businesses registering to become prequalified for work on the project.
Transgrid and its construction partner SecureEnergy is delivering the New South Wales component of the interconnector, which covers 700km from the South Australian border to the regional energy hub of Wagga Wagga.
The $1.5 billion project will take two and a half years to plan and build, and is expected to be operational from 2024.
Executive Manager of Delivery, Craig Stallan, said 826 businesses have registered on the New South Wales Government’s Business Connect and Industry Capability Network (ICN), generating 1,658 Expressions of Interest (EOI) responses for work packages.
“Transgrid values local skills and capabilities and we are really pleased to see a growing number of local and regional businesses registering to pre-qualify for possible work on EnergyConnect,” Mr Stallan said.
Of the 826 companies that have registered, 454 are New South Wales-based and 83 of them are located in the Local Government Areas (LGA) in the project footprint.
56 companies are indigenous-owned and these organisations have submitted 100 EOIs for work packages.
Applications have been received from companies in the Wagga Wagga, Wentworth, Murray River, Mildura, Balranald, Edward River, Hay, Lockhart, Murrumbidgee and Federation Council areas.
“I’d encourage other companies to apply via ICN’s Mid-Tier Supplier Panel (MTSP), which enables local and regional businesses to understand the requirements of large construction companies,” Mr Stallan said.
“The process makes local businesses readily available to the project’s main contractors and makes local businesses stronger and better through skills development.”
SecureEnergy Project Director, David Whatmough, said, “This is an exciting time – we hope to provide opportunities for as many local businesses as possible.
“We are partnering with the New South Wales Government’s Business Connect and ICN to roll out capability training on MTSP use, for local organisations who have registered for work with SecureEnergy.”
SecureEnergy has also released two new EOI specifically targeted at manufacturing opportunities for local businesses.
These include one for 50 cattle stock grids with 100 concrete abutments and another for the fabrication and supply of reinforcement cages, which will be used for works such as concrete piles in the construction of the transmission towers.
“The manufacturing packages are both sizable pieces of work which are well suited to local suppliers,” Mr Whatmough said.
“The replacement of gates with cattle/stock grids will assist our workers in gaining easier access to landowners’ properties; and the fabrication and supply of reinforcement cages is critical infrastructure in the construction of the transmission towers.”
Suppliers can find more information by going to the SecureEnergy website and accessing the Supplier Information Guide.
