Australia’s largest generator of clean, renewable energy, Hydro Tasmania will invest $1.6 billion (USD 1 billion) over the coming decade to upgrade and modernise its existing hydropower network, with long term benefits for renewables in the state’s future energy system.
The forward plan for capital works, includes major refurbishments across 10 power stations and five dams.
Major upgrades at Gordon and Poatina power stations are underway. The 46-year-old Gordon Power Station has an installed capacity of between 432 to 450 MW, and generates 1,388 GWh per year, while the 47-year-old Poatina Power Station’s generating capacity is 363 MW.
Hydro Tasmania Chief Executive Officer Ian Brooksbank said works of this scale take years of engineering and logistical planning.
The Gordon Power Station stator weighs 173-tonne stator and is craned out of position for maintenance, potentially adding another 30 years to its lifespan.
“This is the heaviest lift we do and it’s a rare event involving two cranes and millimetre-level precision. These works will extend the operational life of our power stations, improving capacity, reliability and flexibility,” Brooksbank said.
Image: Hydro Tasmania
Brooksbank said the upgrades will equate to more energy out of every drop of water and can be more responsive to fluctuations in demand.
“This will help us to support wind and other renewables in a modern energy system,” Brooksbank said.
The works complement plans to redevelop the aging Tarraleah Hydropower Scheme and to build pumped hydro at Lake Cethana as part of the Hydro Tasmania’s Battery of the Nation ambition to add new pumped hydro to its existing hydropower system.
Hydro Tasmania received a $300,000 Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) fund in 2017 to investigate over 2,000 potential pumped hydro options, which is now narrowed down to three, including Lake Cethana.
The lake is 56 kilometres south of Devonport and would require a 3,500 metres water conveyance tunnel up to 8.5 metres in diameter, would have a 600 MW capacity, 11 hour duration and an estimated cost to build of $900 million.
The chosen site will be built and ready to operate when 1,200 MW of additional Bass Strait interconnection comes online.
Brooksbank said Hydro Tasmania must invest in its infrastructure for a new era of Tasmanian hydropower that will help meet the state’s energy demands now and in the future.
The $1.6 billion investment in refurbishments is in addition to the approximately $100 million it costs to operate and maintain the Hydro Tasmania fleet every year.
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Would be nice to see the largest energy users in the state contibute more ,at the moment its residential users who are charged the most despite only using 30 to 40 % of hydros power…
I was crane operator/ta there during no.3 turbine install. Mike Yaxley was our boss along with John Payne our supervisor. Tony an Chris our leading hands. Always held those guys in highest regards to their work ethic and skills. I,am a supervisor myself now and thank them for what they instilled in me.