BY DAKOTA TAIT
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has released a new 30-year roadmap, hoping to safeguard the electricity grid across the Hunter and the country against further energy crises.
The Integrated System Plan is calling for more investment in new transmission lines, with the expectation the grid will be able to meet 100 percent of demand with entirely renewable energy sources.
The plan argues a nine-fold increase in wind and solar capacity, five-fold in rooftop solar, and triple in storage, gas, and hydro will be needed to secure supply, with electricity consumption expected to double by 2050.
Five major project areas have been identified, including a Sydney Ring proposal, focusing on energy supply to Newcastle, Wollongong, and Sydney.
The northern part of the project, the Hunter Transmission Project, is likely to revolve around large-scale capacity projects like the Waratah Super Battery and other development around renewable energy zones.
Climate Council Senior Researcher Tim Baxter says it's critical infrastructure for the region's future.
"The Waratah Super Battery is the type of project that the work on transmission will enable," he said.
"That allows us to shore up the grid, it allows us to enable deeper penetration of cheap and clean renewable energy."
"For industrial places like the Hunter, that's going to mean the ability to deliver cheap Australian energy, produced from the wind and sun."
A 500kV transmission link is also being proposed between the Eraring and Bayswater substations.
The option is being estimated to cost as much as $1.35 billion, with a southern alternative costed at more than $3 billion.
The report suggests delivery in 2027-28, dependent on other constraints.
