VicGrid, an administrative office in relation to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, invites potential respondents with the requisite experience, capability and capacity to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the delivery of the Gippsland Offshore Wind Transmission Project (Project).

The Opportunity

VicGrid invites suitability qualified respondents to submit an Expression of Interest in connection with the Project. Specifically, VicGrid is seeking Expressions of Interest from operationally focused consortia that have the development, construction, financing and operational capability and capacity to deliver all aspects of this Project, including:

• participation in the procurement process with the ability to bring a strong operational focus to project planning and implementation;

• design, delivery, and commissioning of the transmission assets;

• transmission operational expertise applicable to the Project and the Gippsland region more generally; and

• arranging finance for Project public and private sector costs associated with the procurement process and the Project delivery phase.

As a minimum, a respondent is to include:

• a lead respondent member, who is to be a registered Transmission Network Service Provider (TNSP) (or an organisation with the capability, capacity and intention to become a TNSP);

• equity provider(s) that will partially or fully provide the Project’s equity requirement; and

• a capability to design and construct the transmission assets.

A respondent may also contain other members, including the involvement of project sponsors, maintenance providers and a lead financer.

The Project is being procured as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) incorporating an Incentivised Target Cost (ITC) regime during the delivery phase – this presents an opportunity for the private sector to partner with VicGrid to deliver onshore transmission infrastructure required for offshore wind generation to connect to the grid.

VicGrid notes that:

• the requirements of Instruction 2.1 (International Agreements) under the Ministerial Directions for Public Construction Procurement in Victoria apply to the Invitation for EOI; and

• all relevant Government policies, including the Local Jobs First Policy, Social Procurement Framework, Building Equality Policy, Recycled First Policy and Fair Jobs Code, will apply to this Project.