Network Connections

Our connection enquiry and application fees and the terms and conditions under which they apply.

CONNECTION-RELATED FEES

The process of connecting to the electricity transmission network is governed by Chapter 5 of the National Electricity Rules (NER). Fees apply for Powerlink to prepare a response to a connection enquiry, make an offer to connect, and other services. Powerlink’s fees for these services, which are set out below in Table 1, take effect from 1 July 2018.

Powerlink reserves the right to review and amend the fees at any time without notice.

Table 1: connection enquiry and application fees

How we design our network, the components that make up a connection and our preferred layouts.

DESIGN STANDARDS

These documents provide a high level overview of Powerlink’s design criteria, including structural and reliability requirements and environmental considerations.

Substations

HV equipment

Transmission lines

Secondary systems

Information about protection and control functions that may be used for connection assets at a 275kV switchyard/substation:

Information about protection and control functions that may be used for connection assets at a 110/132kV switchyard/substation:

Information about transformer bay functional connections between primary and secondary systems assets in a switchyard/substation:

Information about feeder bay functional connections between primary and secondary systems assets in a switchyard/substation:

Landholders

INTERFACE WORKS

This diagram shows the typical interface between Powerlink and the customer for protection and control of 275kV Transmission Line:

This diagram shows the typical interface between Powerlink and the customer for protection and control of 132kV Transmission Line:

This diagram shows the interface between Powerlink and Customer for ac and dc reticulation system for a substation:

These diagrams show typical requirement for protection signalling, control signals, SCADA interface and Telephone connection between IUSA and Generating Facility:

This diagram shows interface between the Powerlink Transmission Line and IUSA:

SUBSTATION LAYOUTS

Please refer to Network Configuration Document – Selection for New Substations Section 2 and Section 3.

OVERHEAD LINE STRUCTURES

Please refer to Transmission Lines High Level Structural Design Criteria Guideline Appendix A.

UNDERGROUND CABLE ARRANGEMENTS

Please refer to Transmission Lines High Level Electrical Design Criteria Guideline Section 3.

PRIMARY PLANT

The typical primary plant is as described in the Equipment Strategies above.
 

Our standard deeds, agreements, and policies for contestable non-regulated connections.  

We use a suite of three standard form agreements to support the connection of third party connection assets to our network: a Works Coordination Deed, a Connection and Access Agreement and a Network Operating Agreement. For non-contestable connections a modified version of the Connection and Access Agreement will apply.

Powerlink has developed a template Access Policy for Large Dedicated Connection Asset Services. This will be published on this website subsequent to obtaining approval of the template position from the Australian Energy Regulator. 

CONNECTION AGREEMENT

NETWORK OPERATING AGREEMENT

INTERFACE WORKS CONSTRUCTION AGREEMENT

RELOCATION DEED

ENVIRONMENTAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL APPROVALS

Environmental and development approvals are site and project specific and depend on the nature, scale, size and location of a project and are determined on a project by project basis. Site/project specific environmental and development approvals information will be provided as part of the connection enquiry/connection application process upon direct enquiry.  

Overview of the potential time it takes for a new connection from the initial connection enquiry to energisation of the connection assets.

Routine operation and maintenance scheduling for key plant and equipment.

Routine operations and maintenance schedules for secondary systems can be found in the document below: 

For the substation and transmission line routine operations and maintenance schedules, please refer to the Substation Asset Methodologies Framework Table 3 and the Transmission Line Asset Methodologies Framework Appendix A.