The Queensland state government will deliver the 1,100-kilometre CopperString 2.0 project to unlock Australia’s largest renewable energy zone and more than $500 billion dollars in new critical minerals in North Queensland.
Early works on the $5-billion project will start this year with construction planned to commence next year.
CopperString 2.0 will connect vast renewable wind and solar resources with critical minerals mining and processing that can be used to make batteries and renewables in North Queensland unlocking more, good secure jobs.
Construction is expected to support 800 direct jobs over six years and thousands of new jobs in critical minerals mining, manufacturing and construction of renewables.
Publicly owned transmission business Powerlink will lead work on the project.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said CopperString was the most significant investment in North Queensland economic infrastructure in generations.
She said: “Unlocking affordable renewable energy and our critical minerals will benefit Townsville, Mount Isa and every town in between – unlocking thousands of jobs and billions in investment.
“Townsville will become a renewable manufacturing epicentre between the world and the largest renewable energy zone in the nation and the world class North West Minerals Province.
“CopperString ensures that Mount Isa will continue to be the heart of the North West Minerals Province.
“CopperString and the Townsville critical minerals demonstration plant will act as a magnet for investment into North Queensland during the clean energy industrial revolution and that means good secure mining and manufacturing jobs for Queenslanders”.
Project facts:
- Copperstring 2.0 is a 1,100 kilometre, high voltage transmission line proposal to connect the North West Minerals Province to the National Electricity Market.
- Townsville to Hughenden proposed to be 500kV
- Hughenden to Cloncurry proposed to be 330kV
- Cloncurry to Mount Isa proposed to be 220kV
- Early works to start this year and construction next year. Project expected to be completed by 2029.
- The project scope now includes an increase in transmission capacity for the section between Townsville and Hughenden, from 330kV to 500kV, to unlock the renewable energy potential of the region. The estimated project cost has been updated for current global supply chain conditions.
