Preventing blackouts in a local power crisis
Aggreko provided 108 MW of diesel power backup across three sites, preventing blackouts during Tasmania’s severe drought crisis. This temporary decentralised power solution supplied 12% of the state’s electricity, ensuring stability when hydropower reserves fell critically low.
- The Challenge
Supplying an alternative to hydropower during a severe summer drought
- The Impact
Producing 12 per cent of the state's power during the autumn months
- The Solution
108 MW of diesel power across three different sites
Client:Hydro Tasmania
Location:Tasmania, Australia
Sectors:Utilities
The Challenge
Urgent power backup in severe weather
Tasmania uses about 1,200 MW electricity every year, 60 per cent of which comes from hydropower. When a particularly severe drought brought Hydro Tasmania’s reservoir levels down to an all-time low, they knew the island would face severe blackouts unless they could get extra power, fast. To make things worse, the Basslink undersea power cable that connects Tasmania to the mainland National Electricity Market (NEM) had also broken down, so they were running out of options.
60%Dependence on hydropower
1200MWTasmania's annual energy supply
108MWBrought in a short notice