Western Australia announces $342m renewable energy investment

This will boost the state's efforts to phase out coal by 2030.

Western Australia has announced $342m worth of new contracts that will enable major upgrades to the northern section of the South West Interconnected System (SWIS).

In a statement, the state government said this is “part of the largest investment in electricity transmission infrastructure in more than a decade - an important milestone in Western Australia's clean energy transition and phased coal exit by 2030.”

The contracts signed with GenusPlus, UGL Engineering, and Acciona are part of a $584m State Budget commitment for Western Power to undertake network upgrades and expansion as part of the Clean Energy Link - North.

The programme includes high-capacity transmission lines, terminals, substations, and transformers.

The contracts will deliver a 26.5-kilometre overhead 132 kilovolt (kV) transmission line from Wangara to Neerabup Terminal, new 132 kV and 330 kV terminals and lines within the existing network, including existing line conversions and upgrades.

There will also be design and construction of new bays and associated lines at Regans Ford, construction of a new terminal at Three Springs and upgrading the existing transmission network in and around the Northern, Neerabup and Eneabba Terminals.

Clean Energy Link - North will generate 400 megawatts (MW) of existing wind and another 1 gigawatt of new renewable energy for SWIS and allow for more clean energy generation in the Mid West.

"This increased capacity is more than the output from the two largest State-owned coal-fired power stations (Muja D and Collie) - of just under 750MW combined,” the government said.