ElectraNet has completed removal of the old Eyre Peninsula transmission line following the delivery of Eyre Peninsula Link, the new transmission line serving the region.
Eyre Peninsula Link runs from Cultana to Port Lincoln and was completed in February 2023. The project improves supply reliability for customers and future proofs the region’s high-voltage electricity supply to support growth and renewable energy developments.
Work to remove the 210 kilometres of old transmission line between Port Lincoln and Middleback Ranges, including 510 transmission towers, began in April 2023 and took about seven months to complete.
ElectraNet Chief Executive Officer, Simon Emms, said removal of the old line was an important next step and marks the final completion of the project.
“The transmission line was over 50 years old and required costly repairs. In the end it was more cost effective to replace the line to provide the Eyre Peninsula with a secure and more reliable power supply,” Simon said.
“Removal of the old line is an important part of ElectraNet’s commitment to minimise our environmental impact and work collaboratively with the communities in which we operate.
“With the removal of the old towers now complete, site remediation is underway and will continue over the summer. The land will be remediated, levelled and returned to its original state, and where suitable, revegetation will occur naturally.
“Some of these towers were on broadacre cropping properties, so their removal improves the ability to use the land for this purpose which is a great outcome for our landholders.
Simon said he would like to thank everyone who provided support in delivering the project, including the Barngarla People, local landholders and our contractor Enerven.
“Close collaboration with the Barngarla People was critical to the success of the project, so that we could carefully remove structures from sensitive areas while ensuring the preservation of cultural heritage,” Simon said.
“Working closely with our landholders was also important to minimise the impacts on their operations.
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“A peak workforce of about 40 people was involved in the demolition works, with the scrap material sorted on-site and then removed for recycling.
“Completion of the line removal concludes an eight-year journey in the planning and delivery of the new line to power Eyre Peninsula into the future, supporting ElectraNet’s vision of Energising South Australia’s Clean Energy Future.”
Showcasing the successful delivery of Eyre Peninsula Link, ElectraNet and the Barngarla Determination Aboriginal Corporation were joint recipients of the SA Premier’s Award – Community Category, announced in early November 2023, recognising their collaboration on the project.
The award recognised ElectraNet and Barngarla’s Eyre Peninsula Link Cultural Heritage Monitoring Program and demonstrated excellence of the project team working with the Barngarla people.
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