Awarded by the Department of State Growth, Hydro Tasmania will investigate the case for a second Bass Strait interconnector, complementing the first subsea cable completed in the mid-2000s.
According to the Tasmanian Government’s Awarded Tenders page, the new project incorporates an additional 10 per cent energy sourced from the state’s hydroelectricity assets.
The contract will extend until 30 June 2016 and has an estimated value of $A325,000.
The first Basslink Interconnector Project, commissioned in 2005, featured trenchless installation works in George Town, Tasmania.
Directional drilling was used to complete two 700 mm diameter drill shots at a highly environmentally sensitive site located on Aboriginal Heritage land.