Hydro Tasmania Chairman, Dr David Crean has welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment of $15.28m in grant funding support to significantly increase renewable energy capacity on King Island.
Dr Crean said the King Island Renewable Energy Integration Project is a portfolio of innovative projects using new and existing technologies to increase renewable energy on the island.
He was commenting at a ground-breaking ceremony on the island today where the Federal Minister for Resources and Energy, Hon. Martin Ferguson MP, broke the ground to signal the Commonwealth’s investment in the island’s renewable future.
“This is an important day for King Island and its journey towards being entirely powered by renewable energy,” Dr Crean said.
“When Hydro Tasmania developed the first wind farm on the island 1998 we knew there was a significant resource in the Roaring 40s that blew over the island. We have been hopeful since then of providing the island with a wholly renewable energy future.
“The successful implementation of this integration program will result in the development of what will be a world-leading renewable energy power system.”
The $46 million project will see significant benefits for the King Island community during the construction phase with local employment for civil and electrical contractors and around eight full-time jobs and a further10-12 jobs indirectly. There would also be two full-time operation and maintenance jobs when the development is completed.
Two distinct technologies will be used on the island, renewable energy generation such as wind and solar and technologies that support the use of renewables such as thermal storage, potentially allowing 100 percent contribution from renewable resources when conditions allow.
The various projects will also reduce emissions and improve the quality of the power supply on the island.
Dr Crean also welcomed the recent announcement from the Tasmanian Renewable Energy Industry Development Board recommending the Tasmanian Government endorse a $21.2 million equity investment in Bass Strait islands renewable developments over four years.
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