Earlier this morning Basslink's owners Basslink Pty Ltd advised the Government and the market of a fault with the Basslink undersea cable.
Basslink have a contractual obligation to fix the fault as soon as possible. They are currently undertaking further assessments to determine exactly what the issue is and also to determine the best solution to the issue.
In spite of Mr Green’s comments, information regarding the tripping of Basslink was publicly available on Sunday via the Australian Energy Market Operator website.
Basslink undertook further technical assessments in relation to the issue and then advised the Government, the community and the energy market that there was a fault with the cable itself as soon as it was confirmed earlier this morning.
This is consistent with Basslink's legal obligation of disclosure and it would have been entirely inappropriate for the Government to have publicly speculated about a fault with the cable itself prior to confirmation of that fact by Basslink.
Hydro has advised again today that despite this new and difficult issue, Hydro continues to be in a position to meet Tasmania's energy needs and that continues to be the case even without the Tamar Valley combined cycle unit.
Notwithstanding this, as previously announced, the combined cycle unit will come on line again shortly. It is currently scheduled to recommence operation on 18 January.
While water levels are lower than average, there are still significant water reserves and wind power to feed into the system. However, there can be no doubt that we are dealing with a very unusual set of circumstances with lower than average Spring rainfall and the current fault with the Basslink cable.
In light of these very unusual circumstances, the Government has today instructed Hydro Tasmania to immediately suspend its current proposal to sell the combined cycle unit pending a further review of the likely impact of the current water storages and the Basslink cable fault. I have asked Hydro to provide me with further advice on their proposal as soon as possible.
I understand Basslink has informed the market of a 60 day outage. This should not be read as an estimate of how long it will take to fix the fault, rather it is to allow for the smooth operation of the National Electricity Market in circumstances where there is a prolonged disruption to Basslink’s service. It is important to not engage in speculation about the potential cause or likely period of disruption. It is important to allow Basslink to make its technical assessment and they will then ensure that the public and market are informed consistent with their obligation of disclosure.
The Government continues to have full confidence in the ability of Hydro Tasmania to manage these difficult circumstances responsibly, prudently and in the best interests of Tasmania.