MORE than three years and $451 million after it was first announced the Tamar Valley's gas-fired power station officially came on line today.
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Owner Aurora Energy says its new power station will play a critical role in underpinning Tasmania's energy security and diversity and relieving drought-related pressures on the State's hydro electric dams.
It also optimises the economic benefits of the Tasmanian gas pipeline and Basslink electricity cable under Bass Strait.
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Aurora Energy (Tamar Valley) Pty Ltd, trading as AETV Power, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aurora Energy, is the owner and operator of the plant, five kilometres south of George Town in the Bell bay largest heavy industrial precinct.
The plant, which contains Tasmania's largest single power-generating unit, a combined cycle gas turbine, has already started generating into the national energy market.
Aurora Energy chief executive Peter Davis said the completion of the power station was a key element in Aurora's transition to a vertically integrated energy company.
"Completion of the Tamar Valley Power Station is not only great news for Aurora, but for the people of Tasmania," Dr Davis said.
"This power station will play a critical role in providing our energy security in line with Aurora's purpose to see the Tasmanian community prosper."
Dr Davis said the power station output represented about 14 per cent of Tasmania's total generation capacity and its combined cycle unit was the single largest generating plant in the State.
The Tamar Valley Power Station is capable of producing 390MW of electricity, comprising three generating units a 210MW Mitsubishi combined cycle unit, a 60MW Rolls Royce open cycle gas turbine and three Pratt and Whitney 40MW gas turbines.
"The Mitsubishi unit is a highly efficient base load generator, while the open cycle Rolls Royce and Pratt and Whitney generators are capable of providing back-up to the Mitsubishi unit as well as offering peaking capacity into the market," Dr Davis said.
The power station features low emission, efficient gas turbine technology using gas sourced through the Tasmanian gas pipeline from Victoria, thereby reducing the State's reliance on brown coal generated electricity from the mainland.
Construction was completed in August this year after about 24 months with up to 340 workers on site.
About 30 people are now employed to operate the plant.
Dr Davis said the environmental benefits of the power station were particularly satisfying, with natural gas the lowest carbon emitter of all fossil fuels.
"This plant is much more efficient that the recently shut down Bell Bay Thermal Power Station and produces significantly lower emissions than a Victorian coal
fired power station.
"In terms of warm water discharges and noise emissions, the new power station will be a significant improvement on the Thermal Power Station and particulate emissions will be negligible," he said.
The power station was opened this afternoon by Premier David Bartlett.
