The Marinus Link project has taken a significant step forward with the submission of a development application for a converter station at Heybridge, between Burnie and Penguin.
The station, estimated to cost around $167 million, will support the proposed undersea and underground electricity cable link between Tasmania and Victoria.
The project involves around 250 kilometres of undersea high voltage direct current cable across Bass Strait, 90km of underground cable and the construction of two converter stations and one switching station.
During peak the construction, around 200 workers will be employed on the project, which has an estimated timeframe of two years.
The site chosen for the Heybridge Converter Station is the former Tioxide Australia factory, which operated between 1949 and 1996 and is currently sitting vacant.
According to the Environmental Impact Statement submitted by Marinus Link, the project will be visible from a short section along the Bass Highway and the entrance to Tioxide Beach.
“From most locations, topography and vegetation will screen the construction and operation of the project from the majority of sensitive viewing locations, including the nearby township of Heybridge, foreshore areas and reserves, and the public road network,” the EIS states.
“During construction, the potential to view elevated equipment, such as cranes, will be visible above the tree line. Impacts from these features will be temporary and short in duration.”
The interconnector would pass under the beach, railway line and Bass Highway before reaching the converter site station.
The Marinus Link proposal aims to provide a 750-megawatt capacity electricity connection between Tasmania and Victoria across one new cable.
The cable also contain fibre optic data cabling to create a fourth network link to the mainland for internet and telecommunications.
