# Powerlink Queensland Awards $480 Million Substation and Transformer Contracts for CopperString 2032 500 kV Transmission Project

> Queensland’s transmission utility Powerlink has finalized contracts totaling AUD 480 million for the supply of 15 large power transformers and four new extra-high-voltage substations along the 840 km CopperString 2032 corridor linking Townsville to Mount Isa.

- **Publish Date:** 2026-09-24
- **Category:** transmission-substations
- **Reading Time:** 5 min
- **Original Source Citation:** [Powerlink Queensland Infrastructure Directorate](https://www.powerlink.com.au/news/copperstring-2032-major-substation-transformer-contracts-awarded-september-2026)
- **Tags:** Powerlink, CopperString, 500 kV, 330 kV, Transformers, Substations, Australia, Critical Minerals
- **Canonical URL:** https://voltformer.com/news/powerlink-queensland-awards-copperstring-2032-substation-transformer-packages
- **Markdown Source:** https://voltformer.com/news/powerlink-queensland-awards-copperstring-2032-substation-transformer-packages.md

## Connecting the North West Minerals Province to the National Electricity Market

CopperString 2032 will establish an 840 km transmission spine crossing outback Queensland, operating at 500 kV from Townsville to Hughenden and 330 kV westward to Cloncurry and Mount Isa. The link integrates mineral mining operations directly into the National Electricity Market (NEM).

The supply contract awards fifteen 500/330/132 kV power transformers ranging from 250 MVA to 500 MVA, incorporating cyclonic wind rating specifications, automated deluge suppression, and digital bushing tap sensors for continuous dissolved gas analysis.

## Four New Substations Engineered for Extreme Outback Climates

New turnkey switching substations will be erected at Woodstock, Hughenden, Cloncurry, and Mount Isa, incorporating 500 kV dead-tank circuit breakers and dynamic reactive power STATCOM systems.

Construction commences in early 2027 with progressive energization targeted between 2029 and 2031, unlocking over 6 GW of high-grade solar and wind resources along the corridor.

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