Work is well underway to revitalise Tasmania’s iconic hydro generation system and cement Tasmania’s place as the renewable energy battery of the nation.
Today I visited Hydro Tasmania’s Cambridge workshop and saw what Tasmanian ingenuity and hard work can achieve, with the refurbishment of components of the Cluny Power Station.
Hydro Tasmania’s Cambridge workshop is a vital part of our Plan to make Tasmania the renewable energy battery of the nation. Employing 12 staff, including two apprentices – with that number likely to grow in the near future - the workshop is vital to Hydro Tasmania’s future as a leader in energy and developing and retaining important technical skills in Tasmania.
Hydro Tasmania is investing $275 million upgrading the entire Derwent system, which includes a $28.5 million investment in the Cluny Power Station. Currently, one of the turbine runners is being modernised to make it more efficient, increase energy output from the Station and reduce environmental risks.
Following the completion of work on the Cluny Power Station, Hydro Tasmania will then begin upgrades to the Repulse Power Station.
This work underpins our Plan to make Tasmania the renewable energy battery of the nation.
Hydro Tasmania is currently identifying a shortlist of sites for pumped hydro that have the potential to generate up to an extra 2,500 MW of power – enough to power 500,000 homes right around the nation. Last week, the Australian National University announced that it had identified over 2,000 potential pumped hydro sites in Tasmania. The research indicated that Tasmania has: “…a combined (pumped) energy storage potential that is about ten times larger than required to support a 100% renewable electricity grid for the whole of Australia.”* This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for Tasmania and the Hodgman and Turnbull Governments are working closely to ensure we make the most of the opportunity.
Work is also underway to improve two of our major power generators - the Tarraleah and Gordon Power Stations. We are working hard to breathe new life into these stations and make them a significant part of our plan for the future.
Tasmania is one of the few places on Earth that is almost entirely powered by renewable baseload energy. We do it better than anyone else, anywhere else and the Hodgman Government is committed to making Tasmania the nation’s renewable energy battery.
*http://re100.eng.anu.edu.au/research/re/site/tas.php