Hunt’s on for best pumped hydro sites

TASMANIA’S pumped hydro vision has moved a step closer with detailed investigation into the best possible site for the project underway.

A full feasibility study into the potential of three sites to deliver pumped hydro has begun as part of Hydro Tasmania’s $30 million investigation into bolstering electricity generation.

The assessment will be undertaken at Lake Cethana and Lake Rowallan in the NorthWest, and near Tribute Power Station in the West as part of the Battery of the Nation initiative.

A single pumped hydro project will then be identified to be developed and ready to feed into a second Bass Strait interconnector. The push for a second cable — and extra power to export — comes as the operator of Basslink confirmed this week that it would be out of operation until October.

The Hydro Tasmania board approved funding for the work to begin, as part of the first tranche of investment of up to $30 million for deeper studies of the three options.

“A key focus of the Battery of the Nation initiative is to take the Tasmanian community with us on this journey, particularly those living near the proposed pumped hydro sites that we are investigating,” Mr Davy said.

“We are committed to providing those communities with information at every stage and seeking their input on what matters to them. We want to make sure that the projects we pursue will deliver benefits to Tasmania, and to Tasmanian communities.”

Details of community information sessions, which began this week, are on Hydro Tasmania’s website.

Clean Energy Council chief executive Kane Thornton said Tasmania could play a key role in Australia’s transition to a clean energy future.

“Australia will be completely powered by renewable energy at some point in the next few decades,” Mr Thornton said.

“This presents a need — and an enormous opportunity — for Tasmania’s hydro power to play a critical role in supporting that transition.

“The construction of Tasmania’s hydro power system a century ago was a remarkable nation-building project, and the next generation of projects in Battery of the Nation and Marinus Link is just as exciting.”