Tasmania’s switch back to fossil fuels has been one of the major talking points of this website ( REneweconomy HERE ), and the Australian energy industry over the past few months.
As we have documented, Tasmania – once the only state to be able to boast a 100 per cent renewable energy supply – has fallen to little more than 50 per cent renewables after a drop in dam levels to record low levels forced it to curtail its generation of hydro power.
Its plans to supplement its power needs with imports from Victoria (mostly brown coal generation) were stymied when the cable to the mainland broke in late December, forcing the island state to switch back on its main gas generator, and add up to 200MW of diesel.
These graphs, courtesy of Dylan McConnell and the team from the Melbourne Energy Institute, highlight that massive switch back to fossil fuels.
The first shows only local fossil fuel generation, with a few bouts of peaking plant (gas OCGT , or open cycle gas generation) before the New Year, followed by large amounts of its Tamar Valley combined cycle gas plant, and supplemented by open cycle or peaking gas.
This has largely been responsible for the surge in wholesale electricity prices to around $260/MWh to $300/MWh – compared with Tasmania’s normal prices of around $40/MWh.
Last week, the first of the 200MW of diesel plants was switched on, the 24MW Catagunya diesel generator. Another two diesel plants should start producing soon: the Meadowbank diesel generator (also 24MW), and the George Town Diesel Generator (30MW). These will likely push prices even higher.
This next graph shows all Tasmanian generation – before and after the loss of BassLink. The loss of the cable forced Hydro Tasmania to quickly lift its hydro output, despite falling dam levels, and then to switch on the gas and diesel generators. The 310MW of wind generation, in green, has remained consistent with capacity factors of between 35 per cent and 39.5 per cent from the two major wind farms, Woolnorth and Musselroe, according to separate data from Green Energy Markets.
• Get with the WIDGET HERE, which reveals Tassie’s energy use
THE BASSLINK SAGA on Tasmanian Times …
• John Lawrence’s Basslink under water
• Garry Stannus’ Tasmania’s Energy Crisis
• Bad News Trainwreck for Good News Matthew
• Bad News Trainwreck for Good News Will
• Chris Harries’ Basslink: A short summary of risks
• Hydro, Basslink: Is it true?
• Read for yourself: Liberal energy promises … and solar reality …
• Mercury: Unions argue for power rationing plan as COAG discussions loom on Tasmania’s energy crisis … “To have a single link, with the potential for an issue, raises a serious question,” Mr Groom said. “It is incumbent on us to understand the potential for a second interconnector. And it’s incumbent on us to understand what role that could play on a transition to low carbon nationally.” …
• ABC: Hydro Tasmania staff preparing their homes for 24-hour blackouts, union says • TT March 10: Hag has been told Treasury has a list of contingency plans in the event of crisis-point with power. First to go are householders and last are hospitals/old peoples’ homes. Industrials – which have cut their power use – are somewhere in the middle … • Hag also hears that the boss of Tas Networks a while ago purchased a generator for his home. I’m told – and this may just be a load of tosh – that he/she has just recently upgraded it to a large one. His view is the lights are going to go out.
