Our transmission network extends 1,700km from north of Cairns to the New South Wales border, and comprises 15,345 circuit kilometres of transmission lines and 147 substations.
The role of a substation is to monitor and control the flow, stability, quality and voltage of electricity on the transmission lines connected to the facility. Equipment located within the substation is used to transform the voltage of electricity, protect the network, measure the flow of the electricity, and switch electricity between the different transmission lines and transformers on the grid. A substation is not a power station – it does not generate electricity.
A transmission line is a powerline which is capable of carrying large amounts of electricity at high voltages. Transmission lines are larger and taller than the everyday distribution powerlines which deliver electricity to your home and business. Transmission lines are normally built on tall steel towers or concrete and steel poles.