ACCIONA has successfully facilitated the delivery of the first major electrical equipment to the HumeLink East project in regional New South Wales, marking a significant milestone in supporting the state's energy transition.

A 134-tonne shunt reactor was transported from Port Kembla to Transgrid's 500kV substation at Bannaby in the NSW Southern Tablelands on May 7.

Acciona and joint venture partner Genus (AGJV) are delivering HumeLink East for Transgrid, including the expansion of the Bannaby substation where the new reactor is housed.

The reactor will be essential for the functioning of the upgraded substation. Once operational, it will help stabilise electricity flow, manage voltage and enable the transfer of large volumes of renewable energy across New South Wales.

A Complex Logistics Operation Months in the Making

Carel Nagel, HumeLink Project Director, explained the significance of the achievement.

"Moving equipment of this scale is a highly complex process that relies on months of detailed planning and collaboration to ensure we could do it safely and without incident.

"We could not have done this without the support and collaboration of Transgrid, Transport for NSW, the NSW Police, local Councils and regulators.

"This reactor was ordered years ago, and our AGJV team had to make sure the substation site was built and ready in time for it to be delivered.

"Going from construction approval in October, to the arrival of our first reactor in May is an extraordinary feat and is something the entire team can be proud of.

"This is a critical step in ensuring HumeLink East is ready to connect cleaner energy sources to millions of homes and businesses," Mr Nagel said.

Navigating the Route: 66-Metre Trailer Through Challenging Terrain

The heavy haul convoy included three prime movers - one pulling and two pushing - supported by pilot vehicles, police escorts and specialist crews. The reactor itself required a 66-metre-long trailer to transport.

The route from Port Kembla to the substation required navigating the Hume Highway and major roads through Goulburn, steep gradients, narrow bridges and overhead obstacles, with safety remaining the highest priority throughout the operation.

Connecting Renewable Energy at Scale

The entire HumeLink project (HumeLink East and HumeLink West) will require 16 transformers and eight shunt reactors, representing some of the largest and most advanced equipment in Australia's transmission network.

The arrival of this equipment is a critical step toward completing the substations that will anchor HumeLink, a project designed to strengthen the state's electricity network and integrate renewable energy at scale.

HumeLink East is already preparing to repeat the process with a second reactor set to arrive at the Bannaby substation in June as construction progresses across the alignment.

Watch the video here:

For more information, visit our HumeLink East project page.