In Episode 6 of Energy Matters, Roshan travelled to north-west Tasmania to uncover the story behind the small but mighty Cethana Power Station. Perched high above the dam wall with Hydro Tasmania’s acting CEO, Erin van Maanen, he explored how Tasmania’s natural resources are powering renewable energy across the state, how Momentum Energy retails power to mainland Australia, and the exciting plans for the future of hydropower in Tasmania. Erin’s pumped!
From mountain rivers to the National Electricity Market, Tasmania’s hydropower story is one of ingenuity, vision, investment, and a whole lot of gravity.
Roshan kicked off the tour atop Cethana Dam, standing with Erin van Maanen against a backdrop of towering cliffs and surging water. The dam, completed in 1971, stands 110 metres tall and forms part of the Mersey-Forth hydro catchment – a network of eight power stations fed by the Fisher, Mersey, Wilmot, and Forth rivers.
The Cethana system plays a key role in Hydro Tasmania’s hydroelectric scheme, which has been producing renewable power from water for more than a century. While Cethana isn’t the largest in the fleet, its 100MW turbine still packs a punch – one of 30 power stations contributing to the island’s hydro-heavy grid. And it’s got a bright future ahead!
During their chat, Erin explained that all Hydro Tasmania power stations use conventional hydro technology. Water is stored at height, released through a penstock (that’s a fancy word for a pressurised pipe), and spun through turbines in the power station to generate electricity. Simple in concept, mighty in scale.
Erin also explained that Cethana could be the site of Tasmania’s very first pumped hydro project! Pumped hydro is an ingenious and effective concept that’s already in use the world over. Water is stored in two places and reused in a ‘loop’. Pumped up for storage and back down through a big power station for energy generation. Standing on the Cethana dam wall, we get an inside look at just where this exciting vision could happen!
At Cethana Power Station, hydro energy is produced using gravity-fed water from the reservoir behind the dam. As the water drops through the penstock, it builds pressure and turns the station’s turbine at high speed. This mechanical energy becomes electricity, which is then stepped up via transformers and sent into Tasmania’s grid.
While most of Tasmania’s electricity needs are met locally, any excess hydro energy flows to the mainland via the Basslink interconnector. Hydro Tasmania then retails energy to households and businesses through its retailer, Momentum Energy. Momentum Energy retails energy to households and businesses in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and the ACT.
In future, with pumped hydro as part of the hydropower fleet, there’s the opportunity to generate even more clean energy for Tasmania and the mainland. Cethana could play a vital role in ensuring the lights stay on when wind and solar aren’t generating.
Cethana may be nestled in the hills, but its impact (and future potential) travels far beyond its steep slopes. Thanks to Hydro Tasmania’s generation, customers across multiple states are supported by reliable, renewable power made from nothing more than water, gravity, and good engineering.
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