Tasmania does not have to choose between the proposed Marinus Link electricity interconnector to Victoria and hydrogen energy developments, TasNetworks' boss believes.
The Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union state branch wants Marinus dumped, with Tasmanian-generated power to be kept in the state to support industry, including hydrogen energy projects.
TasNetworks chief executive Sean Mc Goldrick said Tasmania would be able to have Marinus as well as hydrogen.
"Of course we can," the energy sector veteran said.
"We welcome hydrogen because to us, running a power system, it's an electrical load and the more electrical load we have, the more customers I have, the better for us.
"We need a good industrial load and it's a type of load that's controllable, so it's good for our power system, it helps us.
"Marinus Link also is quite important because, at the moment, we have a relatively weak link between the island and the mainland and I'm working hard to make sure we facilitate the government's intentions in terms of a 200 per cent renewable energy target, which means that we're going to be doubling the clean energy created here on the island ..."
" ... so, between my local load, hydrogen and renewable energy zones that are going to come on board with our beautiful wind resource here, I actually need more interconnection so that I can run the power system here on the island safely, securely and affordably and meet those clean energy targets."
Dr Mc Goldrick said Marinus would be an important element for having hydrogen energy.
TasNetworks is the proponent of the $3.5 billion Marinus project.
It is also planning significant transmission developments, some of which have been controversial, especially in the Loongana are.
Asked about the opposition, Dr Mc Goldrick said it was not just important state infrastructure being planned, but also important national infrastructure.
" ... the contribution Tasmania can make to delivering clean energy is substantial," he said.
"We're an important part of being able to deliver a clean energy system, so I always say to local communities, 'we will engage with you, we will treat you respectfully, we will listen to your concerns and we will mitigate any issues that we can and try to route our lines so that they don't interfere with the primary production purposes of the land.'
"At the end of the day, I'm not just building these things capriciously.
"I'm building them for a reason and it's a very, very important reason and I believe that the majority of Tasmanians actually understand that.
"They may be a silent majority, but they're a substantial majority."
Sean Ford
The Advocate Newspaper, Tasmania. Business, economics, politics, crime.
The Advocate Newspaper, Tasmania. Business, economics, politics, crime.
