More wind and solar power are key to preventing Tasmania again finding itself in the position the state is in now.
The Basslink interconnector between Tasmania and Victoria has been out of action since December 20 last year. It’s not expected to be operational again until mid-March; raising the spectre of electricity rationing for big industrial users in the interim.
Hydro storage in the state is at around just 20 per cent of capacity, with fears it could go as low as during the 1967-68 drought, when levels dropped to 14.3 per cent.
While Tasmania has among the highest wind energy generation per capita globally and wind power is helping during this crisis, it’s simply not enough at current installed levels.
Recommencement of the Tamar Valley combined cycle unit will help the situation. Tamar Valley will restart operations over the course of the week, bringing onsite generation to 280MW of operational capacity; with a further 105 MW of operational capacity in the works.
Even with Tamar restarted and the interconnector restored, imports are likely to continue – and in a carbon constrained world, fossil fueled based power generation is a backwards step.
Prior to the interconnector failure, Tasmania was importing up to 40 percent of its electricity needs.
Part of the answer to the problem is blowing in the wind.
“We need more solar generation and especially more wind power, which nature supplies here in abundance,” states freelance writer Peter Boyer; who says the Basslink failure demands big thinking and home-grown resilience.
“Hosting wind turbines or solar arrays could earn income for drought-stricken farms, and we could capture the power of offshore winds in shallow Bass Strait. With enough capacity we could pump water back into dams, turning our hydro storages into rechargeable liquid batteries.”
Former Hydro Tasmania chairman Peter Rae believes increased wind power capacity would benefit not only Tasmania, but also other states – if a second Basslink interconnector were constructed.
Jack Gilding from the Tasmanian Renewable Energy Alliance says increased solar power would benefit individuals and help improve the state’s energy security; but it needs better support in the state.
While Tasmania’s current situation probably won’t lead to residential power rationing, it may result in more Tasmanian households considering installing solar + home battery systems.
According to Energy Matters, a 6.36 kilowatt solar power system installed in Hobart featuring a Tesla Powerwall battery can provide a financial benefit of $1,545 – $1,989 annually, depending on installation scenario and self-consumption level.
Recent data from Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator indicates more than 26,000 Tasmanian households and businesses have installed solar panels.
