Government welcomes joint venture potential

The Hodgman Liberal Government is building on the success of our relationship with China to drive investment and create jobs for Tasmania.

We welcome today’s announcement that Hydro Tasmania is exploring the potential of a joint venture with PowerChina to expand the market access of its power and water consulting business Entura. PowerChina ranks 313 among the Fortune Global 500 and the potential joint venture presents an unprecedented opportunity for Tasmania.

Entura and PowerChina subsidiary HYDROCHINA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) last November during the Chinese President’s visit to Tasmania. The MOU focused on co-operation on the development of opportunities in the energy and water sectors, including hydropower and renewable energy, sustainability and environmental management and power transmission.

We have already seen this relationship delivering real benefits for Tasmania, with Entura and HYDROCHINA partnering to win a multi-million dollar contract on the Kidston Pumped Storage Hydropower Project in North Queensland earlier this month.

Tasmania has a proud history of achievement in hydropower development, engineering and water management. We support Hydro Tasmania’s intent to look for further partnership opportunities to attract investment and create jobs.

This potential joint venture would allow Entura to expand its market access, which would allow the business to grow and provide more opportunities for Tasmanian workers. It would showcase the expertise of Hydro Tasmania to the world and allow both parties to build on their complementary skills and reputations.

Discussions are still in the early stages and we look forward to further progress over the coming months.
Matthew Groom, Minister for Energy