Australia’s energy system is undergoing a period of major transformation. How can utilities live up to mounting pressure to deliver more projects within tighter deadlines?
Australia’s energy transition is well underway but delivering the infrastructure that underpins it is becoming harder, not easier.
Utilities face rising pressure to build faster, integrate new technologies, and manage increasing complex projects, and traditional infrastructure delivery models are struggling to keep up.
Projects are more technically demanding, timelines are tighter, and the risks are higher.
Genus, however, is doing things differently.
By integrating engineering, construction, commissioning, and maintenance into one connected model, the company is helping utilities deliver the full spectrum of modern energy infrastructure – from transmission lines and substations, to battery energy storage systems (BESS), wind, solar and communications systems.
Genus’ end-to-end capability reduces friction between project phases, enables real-time decision-making and gives clients a clearer, more controlled path from concept to completion across even the most complex builds.
Utility sat down with Genus Executive General Manager Industrial Services, Kevin Arnold, to learn how this model is enabling faster, smarter delivery, and why it all starts with deep collaboration and tailored client solutions.
What are the core challenges utilities face in delivering today’s energy infrastructure?
There’s no shortage of pressure – utilities are being asked to do more, faster. But the biggest risk we see is how those pressures affect planning and sequencing.
Without a clear understanding of technical requirements early on, and how those feed into the supply chain, you build risk into the project from day one.
At Genus, we work hard upfront to deeply understand our clients’ needs from a technical aspect and feed that into the supply chain to ensure we manage the risks around it in terms of cost and time blowouts.
Ultimately, it’s this understanding that our clients trust, and it drives our success.
How does Genus overcome these risks without impacting speed or cost?
It comes down to integration, alignment and flexibility.
We’re not just bundling services together – we’ve built a model where design, engineering, construction and asset management sit under one roof, which means we can act quickly, make changes without delays, and reduce dependencies that would otherwise slow a project down.
But it’s not one-size-fits-all. We collaborate deeply with clients at the front end.
We ask: what are your commercial drivers? What timelines are critical? What risk tolerances do you have? And we design the solution around those answers, not the other way around. That’s how we’re able to move quickly without compromising on scope or blowing the budget.
What are the challenges with the multi-contractor model?
With multiple contractors working on a job, you obviously have multiple interfaces, and multiple teams each with their own process and timelines and they all have a direct impact on each other.
If one element slips, let’s say a delay in engineering, that pushes out civil works, which cascades through the entire project. With a fully connected, fully integrated solution like Genus, we’re in control of the whole journey to get to our destination.
So, if we want to move our workforce around or re-sequence the project, we can do it quickly and efficiently, making decisions earlier and finding workarounds to roadblocks to ensure we mitigate time overruns or cost blowouts. That responsiveness is what sets us apart.
What gives you that ability to be agile without losing control?
We understand our clients’ needs from a technical aspect and feed that into the supply chain to ensure we manage the risks around it in terms of cost and time blowouts.
It’s this understanding that makes us successful in our projects and earns trust from our clients.
Experience and process are key. We make sure to put the right process in place from the beginning and then use our experience to properly implement the process and ensure there are no deviations.
It can involve having tough conversations with clients around timings and costs, but once we sit down and talk them through our reasoning, they fully understand that what we are doing is reducing risk.
For example, on a recent job, we challenged a client spec that was pushing the project $3 million over budget. We asked the client to consider if they really needed that element and they decided that they didn’t. The client changed the spec, and we brought the job back within cost.
That’s the value of early engagement and collaboration.
Can you give a real-world example of how this plays out on site?
A great example is the Aldoga Solar Plant Substation project we completed with ACCIONA Energia.
We had an issue with the transformer being overweight when it landed at port, which caused problems for ACCIONA Energia when trying to get it cleared.
However, we were able to work with the team to re-sequence part of the project and accelerate a few things here and there, which helped us mitigate the delay and keep the project on track.
We also had full control of the delivery schedule from ECI through to commissioning, which meant we could adapt quickly without escalating delays or disputes.
The client didn’t have to chase us. That kind of consistency is only possible when you control the whole journey.
Genus has grown quickly – how do you keep your culture as you scale?
We’ve grown into a Tier 1 infrastructure provider, but we still act like a challenger.
Our leadership team is hands-on. We still walk the floor, get on site and engage directly with clients.
We’re big enough to deliver, but not too big to not care. That’s why our clients keep coming back – they know they’re getting a partner, not just a provider.
What’s ahead for Genus in this evolving market?
We’re already delivering some of Australia’s most important energy infrastructure, including: Stage one of TasNetworks’ North West Transmission Project, Clean Energy Link North, sub-transmission works for Ausgrid’s Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone and Humelink East in joint venture with ACCIONA.
But what excites me is that we’re doing it differently: smarter, faster and in a way that genuinely supports our clients’ outcomes.
The grid is changing, and we’re proud to be helping deliver the infrastructure that will power it.
