A fire has caused extensive damage to Hydro Tasmania’s Tungatinah hydropower station in Tasmania’s Central Highlands.
The fire was reported at around 9pm on Wednesday 2 September. No employees or contractors were at the station at the time and no injuries were reported.
Emergency services contained the fire and are continuing to monitor the site. Hydro Tasmania is providing the Tasmanian Fire Service and Tasmania Police with site information and assistance.
Hydro Tasmania chief executive Rachel Watson said the power station building had sustained significant damage, although it was too early to determine the condition of the generating equipment.
“The most important thing is that no one was on site at the time of the fire and there are no reports of injuries,” she commented. “Unfortunately, from what we can see of the damage, we expect the power station to be out of service for an extended period of time.”
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Watson said the incident did not present a risk to Tasmania’s energy security because Hydro Tasmania’s other hydropower stations remain operational.
“We operate a wide network of hydro power stations across Tasmania that are unaffected.
“It’s not unusual for us to have a power station out of service and we’ll manage the system as needed to support Tasmania’s energy needs.”
Hydro Tasmania said its immediate priorities were supporting emergency services, maintaining public and workforce safety, and managing the state’s power system.
“An enormous thank you to all staff and emergency crews involved in the response,” Watson added.
