The proposed Northern Transmission project would establish a new transmission line from Greater Adelaide to the Mid North and on to Whyalla. It is expected to deliver between $356 million and $640 million in net market benefits for South Australian consumers, according to a draft report released by ElectraNet.
The Northern Transmission project (NTx) Project Assessment Draft Report (PADR) marks a key milestone in the regulatory approval process, confirming that the benefits of the first stage (linking Greater Adelaide to the Mid North) outweigh construction costs and are in consumers’ long-term interests.
While broader economic impacts sit outside the PADR’s formal scope, the project is expected to support significant statewide growth, unlocking thousands of jobs and helping future-proof South Australia’s electricity network.
The findings follow a recent ElectraNet report highlighting unprecedented demand to connect to the state’s transmission network, driven by industries seeking to tap into South Australia’s combination of critical minerals and renewable energy resources. That report identified timely transmission investment as essential to enabling this growth.
Proposed in two stages, NTx would first connect Greater Adelaide to an area near Robertstown in the Mid North, before extending further north to Whyalla. The PADR shows that the first stage alone could deliver substantial benefits, primarily through avoided generation and dispatch costs, as well as reduced involuntary load shedding, leading to lower wholesale electricity prices and improved reliability.
The second stage is expected to deliver further benefits as large industrial loads come online, including mining, manufacturing and data centres.
Based on current connection enquiries, ElectraNet forecasts South Australia’s peak electricity demand could more than double over the next 15 years, rising from around 3.3GW to more than 6.5GW.
“South Australia is on the cusp of entering a new phase of growth that will unlock thousands of jobs and benefit the entire state. But this opportunity can’t be realised if we don’t have the infrastructure to support the energy requirements,” said ElectraNet’s CEO Simon Emms.
“NTx is the piece of infrastructure that brings all that together. From mining and manufacturing opportunities in the north and the west, to innovation and AI revolution in Adelaide, the Mid North and South East, NTx will benefit the entire state.
“NTx will improve electricity affordability, reliability and sustainability for all South Australians.”
In a further development, ElectraNet has identified a new corridor in the Mid North for investigation following community feedback and technical assessment. The corridor lies further east than earlier options, reflecting concerns from landholders about impacts on high-value cropping land.
“We’ve heard from people in the Mid North and that feedback has directly influenced where we are focusing our investigations,” said NTx Project Director Dave Tansell.
“The identification of another corridor does not represent a final decision and remains subject to further investigation, engagement and assessment.”
The corridor sits within a broader planning area between the Bundey substation near Robertstown and a proposed new substation in the Bolivar/Dry Creek area. Further environmental, technical and community engagement work will inform route development.
Public consultation on the PADR will remain open for six weeks, with engagement on the new southern corridor continuing through May 2026.
