Gas Turbines Project On Course - Bryan Green, MHA - Tasmanian Government Media Releases

Energy Minister Bryan Green has commended the forethought of Hydro Tasmania in buying gas-fired turbines to ensure electricity supply in the short term.

“We now know the condition of our water storages that was critical last August when the decision was taken has improved.

“But, in order to be prudent and provide safeguards for the future, the decision to go ahead with the $40 million project was the right one.

“The current storage level for the system is 44 per cent full, which is an increase over this time last year of about five per cent.

“This has resulted from inflows being 50 per cent above average for the last five months of the year.

“In fact, December was the wettest on record in terms of water into the hydro storages with inflows exceeding 220 per cent of average for this month alone.

“This has left the storages in a considerably better position than expected.”

Hydro Tasmania Chair David Crean said Hydro Tasmania’s aim was to ensure that storage levels in Tasmania did not fall into the low 20 per cent area, as they did last year.

“This will be done by either importing energy across Basslink or using gas generation at Bell Bay if required.

“The decision represents Hydro Tasmania’s commitment to provide a secure power supply and plan for contingent events,” Dr Crean said.

The gas-fired turbines were bought from the United States.

Installation of the first turbine is expected to be completed by the end of January and the whole project should be commissioned late next month or early March.



Further information: Tasm