The economics and regulation for Project Marinus is assessed under the regulatory investment test for transmission (RIT-T).
The RIT-T is a regulatory mechanism defined in the National Electricity Rules that applies an economic cost-benefit test on new electricity infrastructure proposed for the National Electricity Market (NEM).
According to the Australian Energy Regulator (AER):
“The purpose of the RIT-T is to identify the transmission investment option which maximises net economic benefits and, where applicable, meets relevant jurisdictional or Electricity Rule based reliability standards.”
The cost-benefit analysis undertaken for the RIT-T focuses on different technical solutions by looking in detail at engineering aspects, refining costs, considering alternate options, and staging.
The economic assessment process has involved: