‘Superload’ makes its way through northern suburbs
A 90-metre long, 390-tonne road train carrying an electrical transformer has passed through the northern suburbs this morning en-route to the Torrens Island Power Station.
Torrens Island power station. Photo: Antony Evans.
The transformer, a crucial part of the 250MW grid-scale battery project at AGL’s Torrens Island, departed from She-Oak Log – north east of Gawler – at around 2am this morning.
The final leg of its journey saw it travel via the Sturt Highway, Northern Expressway, Northern Connector, Port River Expressway and Grand Trunkway before arriving at Torrens Island around 6am.
The 90-metre-long road train has been escorted by police and traffic management staff for the entirety of its journey from Victoria.
It started its journey from Glen Waverley, Victoria on July 15 and arrived in Bordertown on July 17.
It then travelled north through Pinnaroo and Riverland before moving onto the Sturt Highway at Blanchetown and making its way to She-Oak Log.
Photo: DIT
AGL has been reducing its gas-fired electricity production at Torrens Island, near Port Adelaide, in recent years with the retirement of its four 120MW ‘A’ units and the mothballing of the first of four 200MW ‘B’ units last October.
However, in February it announced it had begun construction of a 250MW grid-scale battery at Torrens Island, which is the first in its planned 850MW storage network.
The transformer will be used as part of the project.
Australia’s largest energy generator last month also announced a bid to develop a green hydrogen production hub at its Torrens Island power station site.
AGL Energy has teamed up with several high-profile industry partners to work up a study to demonstrate the commercial and technical feasibility of establishing a renewable hydrogen hub at Torrens Island.
The study will also assess the viability of hydrogen-derived product manufacture at Torrens Island to serve domestic users in South Australia and interstate, as well as wider export markets.
