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Category: States and Territories / Government and Politics / Electricity Energy and Utilities

SA Water eyes producing electricity near Hahndorf

Friday, 24 Feb 2017 12:50:15 | Angelique Donnellan

Water from the Murray Bridge Onkaparinga pipeline near Hahndorf. (Supplied: SA Water)

One of the state's biggest power users, SA Water, is looking to construct a hydro-electric turbine near Hahndorf to help offset its hefty electricity use.

The water utility spends about $49 million on electricity and has been working to reduce costs, including pumping at times when power prices are lower.

Such initiatives had cut costs by more than $3 million per year since 2013.

In a tender document, SA Water stated it wanted to harness energy from Murray River water flowing into the Onkaparinga River, with an elevation drop providing an opportunity for hydro-electric renewable energy generation.

"The project has been through project development and is technically viable with environmental benefits, is estimated to offset about 10 per cent of the electricity used by the MB-O [Murray Bridge Onkaparinga] pipeline 'major' pumping," the document stated.

SA Water already has some hydro-electric systems in place at Hope Valley, Seacliff Park and the desalination plant, which supply about 7,000 megawatt hours per year.

The utility is also exploring pumped hydro generation but said "considerable work and investment was required to further research the viability of PHES [Pumped Hydro Electric Schemes] options".

This week EnergyAustralia revealed it was proposing a pumped hydro venture at the top of the Spencer Gulf.

PM's attack on SA 'unprecedented': Weatherill

The proposal comes amid a bitter debate about the reliability and affordability of South Australia's power supply.

External Link: Facebook Malcolm Turnbull

After 90,000 homes suffered blackout due to load shedding this month and post last year's statewide blackout, Premier Jay Weatherill threatened to go it alone on power, with a "dramatic intervention" promised to be unveiled within weeks.

But in a video on social media, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has warned without a coordinated plan between all governments, more states will end up like South Australia with the "most expensive and least reliable electricity".

Mr Weatherill said Mr Turnbull had attacked the state to protect his leadership.

"I mean it's unprecedented, I can't recall a prime minister who has singled out a state for this attention in the past and it's just simply false it's a national electricity market that's failing not just South Australia but the rest of the nation," Mr Weatherill said.

In the lead up to the last federal election, Mr Weatherill said the Prime Minister had praised South Australia for its leadership role on renewable energy.

"Fast forward a few months with a Parliament where he's hanging on by a thread where he's got right wingers like Tony Abbott who are up one side and down the other side of him, he's had to sacrifice what he knows to be true about energy policy and the need to integrate into climate change policy," he said.

Federal Government Minister Senator Simon Birmingham said Mr Weatherill's criticism was unsurprising.

"Jay Weatherill is a desperate premier desperately struggling for his survival, in a state where we are seeing record levels of unemployment," he said.

AustraliaPlus


 

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