Australia issued its first offshore Transmission and Infrastructure Licence to 1.5GW Marinus Link, the final Commonwealth approval before full construction. The licence triggers protections against vessel anchoring and commercial damage to the cable route.
Climate Change and Energy Assistant Minister Josh Wilson granted the licence under the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021; it remains in force until 2090. The 345km link will connect Heybridge in north-west Tasmania with Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, including 255km under Bass Strait and 90km underground through Gippsland. Preparatory works began earlier this year, and construction activity is expected to intensify in coming months.
At full capacity, the interconnector will be able to supply the equivalent of 1.5 million Australian homes—about three times the capacity of the existing Basslink interconnector—and its fibre-optic component is expected to increase internet capacity between the two states by 150 times. It will enable two-way electricity flows, letting Tasmania import surplus mainland renewables while reserving and storing hydropower for export to the national grid during peak demand.
