Interconnector Watch: Monday 10 August 2026

Interconnector flows across the NEM are all sitting within their limits at 06:30 AEST, with no binding constraints on any of the six links despite an active constraint set on QNI following an unplanned line outage. Basslink (T-V-MNSP1) is exporting 277 MW from Tasmania into Victoria, running at 60% of its 459 MW export limit. QNI (NSW1-QLD1) shows -435 MW, indicating Queensland is exporting into NSW, using 42% of its 1038.68 MW import capacity into NSW — comfortable headroom despite the network event noted below. VIC1-NSW1 carries 240 MW from Victoria into NSW, 28% of its 848.76 MW export limit, while Heywood (V-SA) sits near flat at -21 MW and Murraylink (V-S-MNSP1) at just 9 MW, both well under capacity. Directlink (N-Q-MNSP1) shows -17 MW, a modest NSW-to-Queensland-direction flow within its tight 97.7 MW import limit.

Regional prices are tightly bunched this morning: QLD1 at $87.73/MWh, VIC1 at $87.72/MWh, SA1 at $85.75/MWh, TAS1 at $81.16/MWh, and NSW1 at the top of the mainland range at $92.80/MWh. The narrow $11.64/MWh spread across the five NEM regions is consistent with unconstrained interconnector flows — no link is binding, so arbitrage between regions is functioning normally and preventing any material price separation. WA1, not synchronously connected to the NEM, sits well above at $113.92/MWh, reflecting its isolated market structure rather than any interconnector dynamic.

The key operational item is the unplanned outage of the Bayswater–Sydney West No.32 330kV line at 05:31 AEST on 10 August, which triggered constraint set N-BWSW_32 covering N-Q-MNSP1, NSW1-QLD1 and VIC1-NSW1. This constraint remains active but is not currently binding, meaning it is limiting available headroom on QNI and VIC-NSW without yet capping actual flows. A second active constraint, Q-HATR, stems from the Tarong 275kV circuit breaker outage on 8 August and also touches Directlink and QNI; combined with the automated Sydney security constraint CA_SYDS_59839EB2 invoked on 3 August, NSW-Queensland transfer capability is running with reduced but currently adequate margin. Traders should watch QNI and Directlink closely given three overlapping constraint sets on those paths — any further network event could push these links to their limits and widen the NSW-QLD price spread beyond today's modest $5/MWh differential.