Hunter Transmission Project

The Hunter Transmission Project is critical for the transition

As coal-fired power stations close, the HTP is critical for energy security in NSW.

It involves building a new above-ground 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission line of around 115 kilometres between Bayswater in the Upper Hunter and Eraring in the Lower Hunter to connect the State’s existing 500 kV transmission lines. This will help create a 500 kV ring of transmission infrastructure that will provide the backbone of the State’s new electricity grid for generations to come.

Importantly, it will unlock the electricity supply from the Central-West Orana and New England REZs and allow it to be imported to the new electricity grid via Bayswater. From here it will be delivered to consumers in the Hunter, Sydney and Illawarra where 80% of electricity is consumed.

The HTP is urgent and must be operating by 2027/2028.

Hunter Transmission Project's role in the NSW grid

Strategic importance

Both the NSW Government and Australian Government recognise the strategic importance of the HTP.

At the State level:

the Minister for Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Heritage has classified it as a Priority Transmission Infrastructure Project
the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces has declared it Critical State Significant Infrastructure.

That means the HTP needs the approval of both ministers following extensive public consultation before it can go ahead.

It also requires the approval of the Australian Government Minister for the Environment and Water.

NSW is transitioning to a cleaner future

Our ageing coal-fired power stations are reaching the end of their life. Some are closing faster than expected, with most due to shut in the next 10 years.

At the same time, our demand for electricity is increasing as our population grows and we electrify our vehicles, homes, businesses and industry.

The NSW Government has a plan to ensure this demand is supplied by renewable energy and to provide cleaner, more affordable and reliable electricity to consumers.

EnergyCo is leading the implementation of this plan, which involves:

generating electricity (wind and solar) in Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) across NSW
improving the reliability of the grid with new storage capacity (batteries and pumped hydro)
building new transmission infrastructure such as the Hunter Transmission Project (HTP) to deliver clean energy to consumers.

Find out more about the HTP

Public exhibition and feedback

Community members were invited to have their say on the HTP preliminary corridor by 18 Dec

Frequently asked questions

A list of questions and answers about the HTP

Project documents

More resources about the Hunter Transmission Project

Working with the community

How EnergyCo is working with the HTP community

Finding a suitable route

In a region as diverse as the Hunter, it’s difficult to find a suitable route for a new transmission line between Bayswater and Eraring.

Most of the HTP preliminary corridor crosses mining and suitable public land like State forests. It also avoids sensitive areas such as major towns and villages, the Pokolbin wine/tourist area and national parks.

While some impacts on private land can’t be avoided, the preliminary corridor affects as few private properties as possible. It also provides flexibility to avoid environmentally sensitive areas important for biodiversity and Aboriginal cultural heritage.

Over the next 18 months we’re committed to working closely with the community to improve the design of the HTP, minimise its impacts on people and the environment, and ensure the Hunter community shares in the project’s benefits.

Interactive map

Downloadable map

Treading lightly to minimise environmental impacts

Investigations and feedback from key stakeholders, including local councils, have helped us to avoid important environmental areas.

This includes:

avoiding the Watagans National Park near Cooranbong
minimising the clearing of scarce valley floor vegetation, such as the critically endangered Central Hunter Valley Eucalyptus Forest Woodland and Warkworth Sands Woodland
minimising the removal of critical habitat for key threatened species, such as the Regent Honeyeater and Swift Parrot
protecting scenic landscapes and culturally sensitive areas.

We're working with the community, National Parks and Wildlife Service, and Forestry Corporation to avoid and minimise potential impacts on plants and animals, and Aboriginal cultural heritage.

Alternative corridor options

In a region as diverse as the Hunter it is difficult to find a suitable route between Bayswater and Eraring.

To guide this search, we developed strategic objectives for the project:

maximise the use of power station and mine-owned land, suitable public land and existing transmission easements
minimise significant land use conflicts and impacts on people and the environment
minimise hazards and risks
build community support
deliver the project on time at a reasonable cost to consumers.

We then carried out extensive investigations to identify where the HTP could be located. This included detailed electricity system planning, strategic land use planning, engineering and environmental studies (bushfire, biodiversity, heritage and visual) and consultation with key stakeholders such as local councils.

Initially, we divided the Hunter into 3 broad strategic corridors (northern, central and southern) and examined the suitability of each corridor. We rejected the northern and central corridors as they would both result in significant land use conflicts and impacts to people in the urban areas between Singleton and Newcastle as well as the Pokolbin wine/tourist area.

Using the northern corridor would also involve building a much longer and more expensive transmission line. This led us to examine multiple options in the southern corridor.

Hunter Transmission Project - alternative route options

Using the strategic objectives, we assessed and rejected a number of alternative options for the HTP preliminary corridor.

The existing 330 kV transmission easement between Bayswater and Richmond Vale

This option would be more expensive because the existing lines would need to be taken down and rebuilt to create space for the HTP. It would also take longer, ruling out any likelihood of delivering the HTP by early 2028. This is because the existing lines are essential for supplying electricity to Newcastle, making it difficult to secure the outages needed to construct the new transmission line. Finally, it would increase energy security risks in NSW by concentrating all electricity supply between Bayswater and Newcastle in a single easement.

Next to the existing 330 kV transmission easement

This option would cause significant land use conflicts in the Pokolbin wine/tourist area. It would also cause extensive clearing of endangered valley floor vegetation. This includes the Warkworth Sands Woodland and Central Hunter Valley Eucalyptus Forest and Woodland in areas such as the Singleton Military Area, Werakata State Conservation Area (SCA) and Werakata National Park.

The bushland to the south of the Pokolbin wine/tourist area

This option would result in even greater clearing of endangered valley floor vegetation in the Werakata SCA and Werakata National Park. This vegetation provides critical habitat for several threatened species such as the Swift Parrot and Regent Honeyeater. This option would also cause significant landscape-wide visual impacts in the rural-residential areas around Ellalong and Quorrobolong.

The valley further south of the Pokolbin wine/tourist area

This option would result in significant land use conflicts with the growing residential areas around Millfield and Mount View. It would also cause significant landscape wide visual impacts in the rural-residential areas around Ellalong and Quorrobolong.