Ergon Energy greeted Airlie Beach residents with news they were set to invest $27.5 million into the local network.
The state-owned electrical company said that the Whitsunday’s role as a tourism hub for North Queensland meant the demand for electricity in the area is growing, creating the need for a major project to bolster the region’s electricity supply.
“The Whitsundays is growing and we’re growing with you,” The Ergon Statement reads.
“This project will refurbish and expand the Cannonvale substation and duplicate key sections of the 66,000-volt underground cable network between the Cannonvale substation and Shute Harbour, providing greater network resilience.”
Ergon said this investment will increase the network’s capacity and improve the security of the electricity supply for 8,000 homes and businesses.
The company has said the existing Cannonvale substation control building across from Banjos Bar and the Whitsunday Shopping Centre will remain, with an additional modular building to be built on the site closer to TAFE.
The duplicated underground cabling will “where possible” run adjacent to the existing line, but with development in the area having progressed significantly since that initial installation, the line route options may be different.
“We’ll be able to provide more information after our detailed design is completed,” the statement reads.
The works on the substation will commence in the third quarter of 2022 and the fourth quarter of the year for the duplication through Cannonvale, Jubilee Pocket, Mt Rooper, and Shute Harbour substations.
Completion is expected by the end of 2023.
More information can be found at https://bit.ly/3K5tt6s
