The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to keeping power prices as low as possible. A key to this is utilising innovative, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly energy technology.
For many years the Bass Strait Islands have been reliant on diesel generation which is both expensive and generates high carbon emissions.
Hydro Tasmania has worked with Government to look for innovative new ways to reduce the cost of generation on the Bass Strait Islands while also exploring renewable energy opportunities.
The King Island Renewable Energy Integration Project (KIREIP) aims to supplement diesel fuel with clean energy, by using a combination of renewable and enabling technologies.
In November, the Project supplied all of the Island’s energy needs through renewables for a continuous period of nearly 33 hours, an unprecedented milestone.
The Project has achieved two full days in November of zero diesel operation, when diesel supply is completely turned off and replaced by renewable energy.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) provided $6 million funding to support the $18.25 million King Island project with the rest of the funding coming from Hydro Tasmania and the Government.
To achieve this world-leading result Hydro Tasmania has used its own advanced automated systems to switch seamlessly between diesel and renewable energy.
The transition from diesel power to 100 per cent renewables, and back again is entirely automated and allows the station to achieve significant diesel savings.
This technology is now being rolled out onto Flinders Island.
The $12.88 million Flinders Island project will be capable of reducing the amount of diesel fuel used on the Island by up to 60 per cent within two years.
Hydro Tasmania has worked with Tasmanian manufacturers to develop a series of modular units to house and ship the enabling technologies essential to the energy solution. This innovation will be developed and tested for the first time through the Flinders Island Hybrid Energy Hub project.
The development of this technology will create opportunities to create jobs in Tasmania, because these sophisticated systems are increasingly in demand.
Already, Hydro Tasmania has exported this technology to other parts of Australia and is looking at opportunities in the Pacific and the South East Asia region.
Hydro Tasmania has been awarded a contract to help reduce the amount of diesel fuel needed to generate power and produce clean drinking water on one of Western Australia’s tourism jewels.
The Rottnest Island Water and Renewable Energy Nexus Project (WREN) will deliver both electricity and drinking water for Rottnest Island at lower cost, and with lower emissions, through innovative use of renewable energy and smart controls
Until now, Rottnest Island’s annual power consumption has been provided by diesel and a solitary wind turbine.
This is another outstanding example of Hydro Tasmania’s expertise and the potential for it to open up new markets and create more jobs for Tasmanians.
Matthew Groom, Minister for Energy
