Allens has advised Iberdrola Australia on its successful bid to be appointed Development Partner for the Victorian section of the Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector West transmission project (VNI West).
Set to become one of the most significant transmission projects in Victoria, VNI West is a 240km, 500kV double-circuit transmission line connecting Victoria and New South Wales. The project will harness renewable electricity from energy zones across both states for the National Electricity Market (NEM), linking major initiatives such as EnergyConnect and the Western Renewables Link.
VNI West has been procured under a novel two-stage procurement structure, which allows for more front-end engineering, design risk and opportunity assessment prior to financial and contractual close of the delivery and operation and maintenance phase, which will be delivered as a PPP.
'VNI West is the first in a pipeline of similar projects to be delivered by VicGrid under the 2025 Victorian Transmission Plan, part of a national uplift in strategic transmission infrastructure to support Australia's energy transition,' said partner Mel Keane.
'We congratulate Iberdrola Australia on its appointment as Development Partner for this landmark project, which will play a vital role in delivering reliable, affordable and clean energy to the NEM.'
The advice builds on Allens' extensive experience advising Iberdrola, including on its entry into the Australian market, and on complex infrastructure projects, both in transmission and in electricity projects more broadly, with the firm having advised on Project Energy Connect, Snowy 2.0, and Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone.
