Melbourne Suburban Rail Loop TBMs Powered by Indigenous Yurringa Energy

Australia’s first Indigenous‑owned energy retailer, Yurringa Energy, will supply 100 % renewable power to the tunnel boring machines (TBMs) excavating the northern section of Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) East between Glen Waverley and Box Hill. Founder Daniel Briggs said the contract is a privilege and a historic legacy for the company, which will help power the four TBMs that will carve roughly 10 km of twin tunnels.

The Terra Verde Joint Venture has lowered the first two TBMs, named Alice and Hacia, into the Burwood launch shaft using an “umbilical” method that allows excavation before the machines are fully assembled. Each EPBM features a 7.25‑metre cutterhead and will be about 103 m long when complete. A second launch box is being prepared for two additional TBMs that will start tunnelling towards Box Hill next year. The SRL East project includes nearly 10 km of tunnels, six underground stations and associated infrastructure, employing more than 4,000 workers, with trains slated to run by 2035.