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Construction starts on Marinus Link undersea power cable between Tasmania and Victoria

Construction starts on Marinus Link undersea power cable between Tasmania and Victoria

Built World

750 MW first stage of the interconnector is scheduled to be operational by late 2030

October 2nd, 2026: First sod turned, major construction starts

Overview

Updated Oct 20

Officials turned the first sod at Heybridge, Tasmania, on October 2, starting major construction on the 750-megawatt first stage of Marinus Link. The cable will run 255 kilometres under Bass Strait and about 90 kilometres underground to Victoria's Latrobe Valley, with the first stage due to operate by late 2030.

This month, Tasmania's Civil and Administrative Tribunal affirmed the planning permit for the Heybridge converter station, and Victoria's energy minister visited the Latrobe Valley as the project sets up its Hazelwood North site. Stage 1 is expected to support about 1,000 Victorian jobs a year and roughly $1 billion in economic activity, with more than half the construction workforce drawn from the local area.

Why it matters

The link lets Tasmania export hydro power and import cheap solar and wind, reshaping the east coast grid as coal plants retire.

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Key Indicators

750 MW
Stage 1 capacity
Enough to power about 750,000 homes, per the federal government.
345 km
Total cable length
255 km undersea across Bass Strait plus 90 km underground in Victoria.
2,400
Expected jobs
About 1,400 of the construction jobs are in Tasmania, per Minister Chris Bowen.
$2.4B
Expected investment
Total investment projected for Project Marinus, including transmission upgrades.
50%
Capacity increase over Basslink
Marinus Link adds 750 MW to the existing 500 MW Basslink cable.
$25-36
Expected annual household savings
Project Marinus analysis projects household bill savings of $25 to $36 a year.

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People Involved

Chris Bowen
Chris Bowen
Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Australian Government
Attended the October 2 sod turning ceremony in Heybridge
 Jeremy Rockliff
Jeremy Rockliff
Premier of Tasmania
Attended the sod turning ceremony
SM
Stephanie McGregor
Chief Executive Officer, Marinus Link Pty Ltd
Leading the project through its construction phase

Organizations Involved

Marinus Link Pty Ltd
Marinus Link Pty Ltd
Project company
Building Stage 1, with site establishment under way in Victoria and Tasmania

Marinus Link Pty Ltd is the company building the interconnector, owned by TasNetworks.
TasNetworks
TasNetworks
Transmission network operator
Parent company of Marinus Link, also building the North West Transmission Developments

TasNetworks operates Tasmania's transmission network and owns Marinus Link Pty Ltd.
Prysmian
Prysmian
Cable manufacturer and installer
Contracted to manufacture and install 345 km of cable

Prysmian won the contract to manufacture and install the cable, including the Bass Strait crossing.
TG
TasVic Greenlink
Joint venture
Major works contractor for Stage 1

A joint venture between DT Infrastructure and Samsung C&T, awarded the final Stage 1 major works contract.
Clean Energy Finance Corporation
Clean Energy Finance Corporation
Government-owned financier
Providing concessional finance via the Rewiring the Nation program

The CEFC delivers concessional finance for Marinus Link through the federal government's Rewiring the Nation program.
Hitachi Energy
Hitachi Energy
Technology provider
Supplying grid-forming HVDC technology for the converter stations

Hitachi Energy is supplying the high-voltage direct current technology for Marinus Link's converter stations.

Timeline

August 2025 October 2026

8 events Latest: October 2nd, 2026 · 1 month ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. First sod turned, major construction starts

    Latest Construction

    Officials turn the first sod in Heybridge, officially starting major construction of the 750 MW Stage 1 interconnector. Federal minister Chris Bowen said the project is enough to power 750,000 homes.

  2. Tribunal affirms Heybridge converter station permit

    Regulatory

    The Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal affirmed the Heybridge converter station planning permit with no changes to conditions after an appeal process.

  3. Victorian energy minister visits Latrobe Valley site

    Construction

    Victoria's energy minister visited the Latrobe Valley as Marinus Link establishes the Hazelwood North converter station site and prepares for major construction there.

  4. Australia's first offshore transmission licence granted

    Regulatory

    Marinus Link received Australia's first transmission and infrastructure licence under the new offshore infrastructure regime, covering the subsea cables in Commonwealth waters.

  5. Early works commence

    Construction

    Preparatory works begin in Heybridge, Tasmania and across Gippsland, Victoria, including site investigations and contractor mobilisation.

  6. Preparatory works begin at Waratah Bay

    Construction

    Preparatory works started at Waratah Bay on the Victorian coast, including access roads, drainage and a hardstand for the future shore crossing. The company's annual report says the work finished ahead of schedule.

  7. Regulator approves cost recovery

    Regulatory

    Australian Energy Regulator approves Marinus Link and North West Transmission cost recovery, enabling full construction.

  8. Final Investment Decision confirmed

    Decision

    Tasmanian, Victorian and Australian governments confirm they will proceed with Stage 1 of Project Marinus.

Scenarios

1

Marinus Link Stage 1 energizes on schedule in late 2030

Likely Resolves by Q1 2031

Discussed by: Project officials, the Australian Energy Market Operator, and the federal government

Construction proceeds on schedule, with the cable energized and carrying electricity between Tasmania and Victoria by late 2030 as planned. AEMO's modelling has reaffirmed the link's role in delivering reliable, least-cost energy across the National Electricity Market.

2

Stage 1 delayed beyond 2030

Possible Resolves by Q1 2031

Discussed by: Infrastructure analysts and energy market observers

Supply chain issues, weather delays in Bass Strait, or contractor problems push completion into 2031 or later. The undersea cable installation is the riskiest phase, with weather windows in Bass Strait limiting work periods.

3

Stage 2 approved, doubling capacity to 1,500 MW

Uncertain Resolves by End of 2029

Discussed by: Tasmanian and federal governments

After Stage 1 proves successful, governments approve the second 750 MW stage, doubling the link's capacity. The Burnie City Council's project update notes the second stage was forecast to be built and operating from 2030, though no final decision has been made.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

December 2015 - June 2016

Basslink outage (2015-2016)

Basslink, the existing 500 MW undersea cable connecting Tasmania to Victoria, went offline in December 2015 after a fault. The outage lasted about six months, forcing Tasmania to rely on its own hydro generation during a drought and import diesel power.

Then

Tasmania faced energy shortages and had to run emergency diesel generation to keep the lights on.

Now

The outage exposed Tasmania's vulnerability as an island grid with a single connection to the mainland, strengthening the case for a second interconnector.

Why this matters now

Marinus Link is that second interconnector. It gives Tasmania redundancy if Basslink fails again and adds export capacity for its hydro and wind resources.

October 2021

North Sea Link (2021)

The North Sea Link, a 1,400 MW high-voltage direct current cable between the United Kingdom and Norway, began operating in October 2021. It lets Norway export hydro power to Britain and import wind power when it is plentiful.

Then

The link began trading electricity both ways, smoothing price differences between the two markets.

Now

It became a model for bilateral interconnectors that pair hydro storage with variable wind and solar generation.

Why this matters now

Marinus Link works on the same principle: Tasmania's hydro dams act as a battery for the mainland grid, storing cheap solar and wind and releasing it when needed.

Sources

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pv magazine Australia Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water Pulse Tasmania Hitachi Energy South Gippsland Sentinel Times Burnie City Council Tasmanian Government, ReCFIT Enerdata Marinus Link Marinus Link Energy News Bulletin TRFM Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water South Gippsland Sentinel Times Hitachi Energy Marinus Link Marinus Link