ACCIONA and Genus Plus Group’s HumeLink East Project has achieved a verified Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC) Design Submission Rating of 94.38 points, placing the project at the upper end of the ‘Leading’ rating band in New South Wales.

Exceeding the targets

The achievement significantly exceeds both the contractual target of 65 points and the aspirational target of 75 points, recognising the project's commitment to sustainable design and delivery practices.

Carel Nagel, HumeLink East Project Director, welcomed the result and highlighted its importance for the project and the broader energy transition.

"Achieving a score of 94.38 points reflects the commitment of the project team to embedding sustainability into every stage of design and delivery," Mr Nagel said.

"The initiatives implemented across the project are reducing environmental impacts while helping deliver infrastructure that will support a cleaner energy future for New South Wales."

Supporting the energy transition

The HumeLink East transmission project will play a critical role in strengthening the NSW electricity network by enabling more renewable energy generation to connect to the grid.

As renewable energy capacity increases, the project will help reduce the state's overall electricity emissions intensity while supporting long-term energy security.

What the rating recognises

The ISC rating recognises performance across a broad range of sustainability criteria. For HumeLink East, this has included setting ambitious targets to reduce construction emissions, minimise water consumption, lower embodied carbon in materials and reduce waste generation.

The project has also incorporated climate resilience measures into the design process and prioritised sustainability outcomes throughout its supply chain and community engagement activities.

Measurable environmental improvements

A number of measurable environmental improvements have already been achieved through the project's sustainability initiatives.

These include a 25.1 per cent reduction in energy-related emissions and a 27.1 per cent reduction in total water use. Contributing measures include:

• the deployment of Battery Energy Storage System units and hybrid accommodation caravans
• reduced vegetation clearing
• optimisation of access tracks and tower pad earthworks
• design refinements that reduced the number of transmission towers required

Water savings have been supported through the use of polymer-based dust suppression methods, construction efficiencies and the reuse of onsite rainwater. Together, these initiatives demonstrate how sustainable infrastructure can be delivered while reducing environmental impacts during construction.

The result reinforces ACCIONA's commitment to delivering infrastructure that supports Australia's renewable energy transition while creating lasting environmental and social value.

As construction progresses, the HumeLink East Project will continue to build on these sustainability outcomes and help shape a lower-emissions energy future for New South Wales.