The announcement earlier in the week that the Hodgman and Turnbull Governments are working together to deliver a second-wave of hydro development will generate enormous benefits to Tasmania.
Importantly this will mean new job opportunities for Tasmania.
At the forefront of this opportunity will be the Hydro-owned engineering firm Entura.
Entura is at the cutting edge of developing innovative technology for power generation including the planning, design and construction of hydro power stations.
Currently, Entura is involved in projects across Australia and around the world valued at more than $2.4billion. This includes hydropower projects with an aggregate capacity of 15,000 MW in Australia, the Pacific, South and South East Asia and Africa.
Most recently, Entura was involved in the design of a 250MW pumped hydro scheme in Queensland. This vital experience means that Entura will be able to hit the ground running when it comes to developing pumped hydro in Tasmania.
Entura will also play a vital role in the other projects that are currently being assessed, such as augmenting the existing Tarraleah and Gordon power stations, as well as other renewable opportunities in wind energy in Tasmania.
Entura is currently enjoying a jobs growth spurt off the back of these opportunities and anticipates more off the back of the hydro expansion projects. Having taken on 20 new employees over the last 6 months, Entura is again hiring - currently looking for up to 10 new systems and power engineers as well as hydro and pump storage specialists to help with the current and anticipated growth in renewable development consulting.
In addition, Entura is anticipating that at least another 30 to 40 new jobs will be required over the next two years. This is another example of how well Tasmania is placed to lead the nation in hydro expansion over the coming years - delivering economic growth and job opportunities for Tasmanians.