This report is a feasibility study to assess options for reimagining the Tarraleah hydropower scheme to deliver more renewable energy, in a more flexible manner in the future.
Report extract
The National Electricity Market (NEM) is facing a challenging and uncertain future as Australia grapples with the trilemma of delivering the reliable, sustainable and affordable energy the future market needs.
The key to meeting this challenge is investment in assets that provide:
- Flexible ‘dispatchable’ generation that can firm variable renewables.
- Energy storage solutions that can manage system variations by storing excess energy for use at later time.
- Interconnection to share generating resources more effectively.
Getting the most out of our existing hydropower generation is a key part of the Battery of the Nation initiative.
The flagship project Hydro Tasmania has assessed is one of Tasmania’s oldest hydropower schemes – the Tarraleah scheme in the Central Highlands which produces around 6.5% of Hydro Tasmania’s total annual production.
Many of the scheme components are over 80 years old and in need of significant investment within the coming decade to ensure safe and reliable operation well into the future. The existing scheme also has a number of physical and operational constraints which mean it may not be well suited to the needs of the future electricity market. The scheme’s inflexible baseload operation may see it competing with low cost variable renewable energy sources.