Lake Cethana, Lake Rowallan and Tribute have emerged as the most promising pumped hydro sites in Tasmania following studies done over the past 20 months looking at the state’s potential. These sites were selected from the original list of 14 potential pumped hydro options around the State.
The sites represent strong and sustainable development opportunities with the sort of long-term storage options the future national electricity market will need.
In the Mersey-Forth region
On the West Coast
This puts Hydro Tasmania in a great position to select one strong development opportunity that could be taken forward and be ready to operate when 1200MW of additional Bass Strait interconnection comes online.
What happens next?
We’ll continue pre-feasibility work on the remaining sites to identify those opportunities that can deliver the target capacity total of 2500 MW over time. That will take into account work that will be done on the three most promising sites.
The next stage involves a more intensive feasibility study to gather more detailed information and assess the suitability of each of the sites for development. This stage will involve engagement with local communities.
The outcome of this work will be a preferred project that could be taken forward and be ready to operate when 1200MW of additional Bass Strait interconnection comes online.
In the meantime, find out more about what’s ahead.
Our pumped hydro analysis has funding support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), as part of its Advancing Renewables program. Hydro Tasmania produced a comprehensive report on its assessment of the state’s pumped hydro opportunity.
We’ve put together some frequently asked questions about the pumped hydro assessment.
We welcome views from the Tasmanian community and will continue to keep you informed as studies progress.
We welcome your suggestions on the best way to provide project updates or for you to contact us with questions you may have.
More than 70% of Australia’s power currently comes from coal-fired power stations that are likely to close in the next few decades.
Wind and solar power are predicted to dominate Australia’s energy future. But these sources are variable, which simply means that the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow.
That means energy storage will be crucial in the future, to help balance wind and solar energy in the system.
Pumped hydro is a proven technology for storing large-scale clean energy and provides around 96% of total worldwide storage capacity.
Want to find out more? Check out this short video.
Battery of the Nation is about locking in our island’s energy security and giving Tasmanians the lowest possible power prices. It offers a future that’s clean, reliable and affordable.
Battery of the Nation is not a Hydro Tasmania initiative; it’s a Tasmanian initiative. It’s designed to serve and support our communities, and will involve opportunities and contributions from right across the renewable energy sector.
Our analysis shows Battery of the Nation would create billions of dollars of investment and thousands of jobs in regional Tasmania over 10 to 15 years.