Marinus Link cleared for construction with Australia’s first offshore transmission licence

MARINUS Link has been granted Australia’s first offshore transmission licence, the final Commonwealth approval needed before construction ramps up on the undersea power cable coming ashore at Waratah Bay.

The Transmission and Infrastructure Licence was granted by Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Josh Wilson under the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021 and follows federal environmental approval for the project last year.

It covers the construction, installation, operation, maintenance, repair and eventual decommissioning of Marinus Link’s subsea cables and associated fibre-optic infrastructure in Commonwealth waters, which begin three nautical miles from the coast.

The cables will run 255km under Bass Strait from Burnie in north-west Tasmania to Waratah Bay, then 90km underground through Gippsland to a converter station at Hazelwood North in the Latrobe Valley, with a fibre-optic terminal station at Sandy Point.

Marinus Link chief executive Stephanie McGregor said the licence was a significant step forward for both the project and Australia’s broader energy transition.

“The Transmission and Infrastructure licence is one of the final permits ahead of construction, allowing electricity to be transmitted through Commonwealth waters and providing protection over the subsea cable route,” Ms McGregor said.

“It is the first TIL granted under the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021, the national regime designed to support offshore renewable energy and transmission infrastructure in Commonwealth waters.

“We’ve worked collaboratively with the registrar in supporting the new framework, and we’re proud to have helped pave the way for the emerging offshore electricity sector.”

The act also provides for safety and protection zones that prevent vessels anchoring over or damaging the cables once they are installed, and the licence runs until 2090.

Marinus Link will now progress its design notification and develop a management plan setting out how the cables will be managed from construction through to decommissioning.

“As part of developing our management plan, we will undertake an engagement process, including with First Peoples, marine users, relevant government agencies and coastal communities,” Ms McGregor said.

Preparatory works began this year, with construction to ramp up over the coming months.

Marinus Link will be delivered in two stages, with stage one, a 750-megawatt interconnector, scheduled for completion in late 2030.

Together with Tasmania’s North West Transmission Developments, the project is expected to create about 2,400 jobs and $2.4 billion of investment.

Project Marinus analysis shows the link is expected to cut average wholesale electricity prices by about $15 per megawatt hour in Tasmania and $17 per megawatt hour in Victoria once operational, which would mean household bill savings of about $25 to $36 a year.

Mr Wilson said the licence was a landmark moment.

“Marinus Link is a nation-building project, but it’s also a project with real benefits for Tasmanians and Victorians, helping put downward pressure on electricity prices while unlocking new investment in Australia’s clean energy future,” he said.

“This connection works both ways.

“It will help Tasmania make the most of mainland solar and wind power while sharing its renewable energy with the mainland when it is needed most.”

Marinus Link is jointly owned by the Commonwealth, Tasmanian and Victorian governments.