Uralla residents will enjoy a rare spectacle and insight to the scale of the clean energy transition when a 171-tonne energy transformer is trucked through the town this Sunday, April 13.
The arrival of the transformer in Uralla will mark the completion of a massive logistical feat spanning 7,500km from construction in China to its permanent location at the New England Solar Farm.
ACEN New England Solar have engaged electrical engineering contractors EPEC Group to expand the New England Solar precinct with a new Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for which this transformer provides the vital connection between the stored energy of the battery units and transmission into the national grid.
“The arrival of the transformer is a huge milestone in our project to develop the first utility-scale Battery Energy Storage System in the New England REZ,” said Michael Moczynski, Managing Director of the EPEC Group.
“The transformer is a very large and extremely heavy piece of technology and is a key component for the New England Solar Battery Energy Storage System.”
The weight and size of the transformer will mean the journey will also be supersized, requiring specialist international Logistics operators One Global to manage the transport of the transformer from the factory in China to the project site located in the New England REZ.
The unit, which was manufactured by Sieyuan Electric in Changzhou City, China, was dismantled and packed for shipment in December 2024. It was collected and transported to Shanghai to be loaded onto the AAL Brisbane ocean liner, which departed from Shanghai on 10 February 2025 with an expected arrival at the Port of Brisbane on 25 February.
The journey to Brisbane was not exactly smooth sailing, being delayed by Cyclone Alfred and other technical issues along the way.
“On 24 February, the ship was forced to halt for 4 days just north of Papua New Guinea,” said Project Manager Brad Fallis.
“The journey resumed on 28 February, albeit at a slower pace, as the vessel tracked southward along the Queensland coast behind the cyclone.”
“By March 3, worsening weather caused the Port of Brisbane to close, and the ship was halted again off the coast of Bowen, where it remained at sea until the port reopened a week later.”
“The vessel was finally able to dock on 17 March, only to be instructed to return to sea yet again due to a mechanical fault with onboard equipment.”
The unit was finally offloaded on April 1, almost 5 weeks behind schedule.
With much relief of the project managers, the final leg of the journey, a five-day overland transport convoy to Uralla, departed Brisbane on Wednesday, April 9, under Police escort.
A total of three prime movers is required to pull and manoeuvre the transformer. The capacity of bridges and other road infrastructure will mean the convoy will travel through Goondiwindi, Moree, Tamworth and back up to Uralla through the Moonbi Range.
The convoy, hauling the 18-axle trailer required to manage the weight of the transformer, will stretch 60-metres, or around the width of a football field.
The New England Solar precinct will be comprised of 112 BESS units hooked up to 28 medium voltage stations when completed. It is expected that the BESS units will start arriving in August this year.
ACEN Australia, which owns and operates New England Solar, together with EPEC will hold a community event in Uralla’s Pioneer Park to celebrate the transformer’s passage through town. This is a valuable opportunity for members of the community to find out more about the battery storage system and other projects being undertaken by these groups.
“The spectacle of the transformer and its 60m-long convoy is sure to attract plenty of attention as it makes its way to its new home at New England Solar,” Mr Moczynski said.
“We’re inviting community members to join us in Pioneer Park for a coffee or refreshment, while finding out more about the transformer: how it works, why it’s so heavy and the role it will play at the project.”
The transformer is expected to come through Uralla’s main street on Sunday April 13 between 10.00am – 12.00pm.