Episode 6 of Energy Matters transported viewers to north-west Tasmania. Roshan met with the acting CEO of Hydro Tasmania, Erin van Maanen, atop the walls of the Cethana Dam to discuss the hydro energy produced by the dam’s power station and how an innovative and ingenious hydropower technology could be utilised in the future.
Hydro energy and Australia’s energy landscape
The Cethana Dam is as breathtaking as it is powerful. Roshan and Erin ventured to its top to talk about the role of Cethana within Hydro Tasmania’s extensive hydro energy system and the exciting plans for its future.
Cethana is one of eight power stations in the Mersey-Forth catchment in the north-west of Tasmania. The catchment uses water from the Fisher, Mersey, Wilmot, and Forth rivers to generate energy in the power stations dotted along the mountainside. That same water is used to generate energy multiple times!
110 metres high, Cethana Dam was completed in 1971. Cethana is just one of 30 power stations under the Hydro Tasmania banner. Hydro energy has been produced in Tasmania for over 100 years.
Erin explained that all of the hydropower stations that Hydro Tasmania operates in Tasmania are conventional hydropower stations. Cethana Power Station has a 100MW turbine. It’s not one of the largest, but also not the smallest. Small but mighty!
Hydro Tasmania’s network of 30 power stations have a combined capacity of around 2600MW. Around 9000 gigawatt hours of energy produced across Tasmania annually. Tasmania is typically powered by around 85% hydro energy, with wind power making up the balance.
Momentum Energy operates across most of Australia and is the retail arm of Hydro Tasmania. While Tasmania uses most of its hydro power locally, any excess energy can be sent to the mainland via the National Electricity Market (NEM). Momentum Energy helps facilitate this, giving households and businesses peace of mind that their choice of energy retailer is supporting renewable generation.
Australia’s energy future and the role of hydropower
As Australia transitions to a low-emissions economy, hydropower remains one of our most valuable assets. Hydropower provides reliable, dispatchable energy any time of the day or night – a perfect complement to variable sources like solar and wind. As Erin explained, as Australia’s energy market rapidly transforms, we need to make the right investments and planning decisions. We need to bring in the right assets at the right time to complement other forms of generation as the transition away from fossil fuels gathers pace. Hydro Tasmania’s century-long experience in renewable energy means they have a head start and some big plans to build the next generation of hydropower, helping power Tasmania and Australia with clean energy from water.
With Momentum Energy, customers aren’t just buying electricity – they’re choosing an energy retailer that supports a cleaner, smarter grid. Momentum Energy, through its connection to Hydro Tasmania, plays a pivotal role in supporting this shift. By harnessing Tasmania’s natural advantages, Hydro Tasmania is helping power a future that’s not just renewable but resilient.
Missed the episode? No worries! Catch up now via 9Now. You can also catch encore screenings at Sunday at 8am, Tuesday at 6:30am, and Thursday at 10:30am.
