After a year of steady progress across a number of fronts, Tasmania's renewable energy industry has ended the year with an upsurge in activity and progress, paving the way for what promises be an exciting new year in the sector. Here's a rundown on what we expect will happen in 2021 - there's a lot planned for next year! POLICY AND STRATEGY - The Renewable Energy Coordination Framework to support [...]
Major recent announcements in Tasmania's renewable energy space will affect just about the whole Cradle Coast community, directly or indirectly. Whether you are interested in future employment opportunities, skills and training, business opportunities, or would just like to know how and where it all fits together - there are plenty of resources available. Here are some good places to start: To keep up with all of the news and announcements [...]
Over the weekend, the Tasmanian Renewable Energy Action Plan was released. You can find it here Tasmania has recently reached 100% renewable electricity self-sustainability - which means we now have the capability to generate as much electricity as our state consumes. Although most of our electricity is generated from water, on average not enough water is collected in the network's catchments to power the state all year. With additional [...]
It was announced this week that Lake Cethana has been selected as Tasmania's preferred pumped hydro site. Lake Cethana is in the Cradle Coast, about 60km south of Devonport.Tasmanians know we have an amazing electricity generation system. Decades ago, while other states were building coal, oil and gas fired thermal power stations, we were building dams. Over the decades, the initial coal, oil and gas resources have been depleted, and [...]
TasNetworks has purchased the former Tioxide site in Heybridge as a potential site for the Tasmanian Converter Stations for Marinus Link. The undersea component of Marinus Link will consist of two 250km long, 750MW undersea cables. Tasmania's only current interconnector, Basslink, is 290km long undersea, and 500MW. It was built in 2005 and runs out of George Town, near Launceston. As the world transitions towards variable renewable energy and [...]
After evaluating several routes and sites in Tasmania and Victoria, TasNetworks has announced the route from Heybridge (Burnie) to Hazelwood (on the Victorian side) achieves the best balance of the project’s objectives and the technical, environmental and social criteria. The site proposed is the former Tioxide site on the western side of Heybridge, on the Bass Highway. TasNetworks has released its Marinus Link Route Options Report Overview, which is open [...]
Today, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the federal and Tasmanian governments was announced that outlines a shared path forward and further certainty for progressing Marinus Link, the new 1500MW interconnector between Tasmania and mainland Australia, and the Cethana pumped hydro and hydropower upgrade opportunities in the existing portfolio that form the Battery of the Nation. Under the agreement, the governments will work closely to deliver Battery of the [...]
Tasmania has reached its target of becoming "100% renewable", with the capacity and capability to generate more renewable electricity annually than average consumption. This gives Tasmania a massive boost in securing the reliability of the state's energy supply. In 2017, the Tasmanian Energy Security taskforce found that Tasmania needed an extra 700 to 1000GWh generated on the island in order to balance supply and demand. Although Tasmania is connected [...]
Draft Planning Criteria for the Major Infrastructure Development (North West Transmission Upgrades Project) is now on public exhibition.The North West Transmission Upgrades Project proposes the development and use of a 220kV overhead electricity transmission line, transmission towers, and ancillary facilities, from Palmerstone to Sheffield, Sheffield to Burnie via a spur line to Heybridge, Burnie to East Cam, East Cam to Hampshire, and Hampshire to Staverton. It includes substations at East [...]
As part of this year's budget announcement, the government committed to transitioning its vehicle fleet to 100 per cent electric vehicles by 2030. Most vehicles privately purchased in Tasmania are second hand vehicles, and ex-government vehicles are always a popular choice because they have been professionally maintained and lightly used. In a few years, these electric vehicles will be sold on from the government fleet to the Tasmanian public. [...]