Thanks to Peter Bobroff from the grid.publicknowledge.com.au site for these daily data which reveal much.
The last day of Basslink transmissions was 20 Dec 2015. It is fascinating that the cable failed a few days after exports were started. What was the rationale behind the decision to sharply increase Hydro production 16-17th December to export to Victoria – at a time dam levels were low? After Basslink failed it took a month to ramp up gas. Will try and get intraday day data in the week up to the break. A week ago I posted – “Base Load power is now a myth” so say renewable energy enthusiasts
Checkout NemWatch for real time electricity generation in each State and see how often wind is near useless.
So the Tasmanian Government owned Hydro decides around mid December to thrash their all ready low dams storage at a much greater rate for the short term advantage to use Basslink to sell into some short term price spikes in the Melbourne market. Which meant alternating Basslink flows between imports & exports.
Well that sure worked out well.
Somewhat surprised to see they do cloud seeding in Tasmania. Maybe the diesel generators they are cranking up will spew enough particulates to produce the same effect.
Tasmania energy crisis: Basslink still unsure where cable fault is, facing ‘phenomenal’ repair costs
www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-15/basslink-still-unsure-where-cable-fault-is/7247772?WT.ac=statenews_tas
Where are the Bean Counters now who advocated for the rapid reversals in Basslink transmissions to maximize the profit selling – how much worth? – of power to the Vic grid. I wonder what the all up cost of this disaster will be – and how many lawyers will be ordering new Mercedes.
Here is the chart of 5 minute data over 7 days including the Basslink failure.
Here is the chart of weekly Hydro dam levels back to 2010.
wazah,
They don’t know where the fault is? I call BS on that. Undersea cables are neither rocket science, nor cutting edge technology.
If they had the will, they could find out where the problem was in a trice, and fix it in a jiffy, just like thousands of other companies around the world do.
There’s another agenda here.
Before the rest of Australia gets out the cheque book once more to bail out Green blighted Tassie, maybe there’s a lesson to be learned here.
Venezuela has run out of water for its hydro power and is shutting down for a week in order to save energy, hint hint?
www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-16/venezuela-to-shut-down-for-a-week-as-electricity-crisis-mounts