Basslink
Encyclopedia
Basslink is a high-voltage direct current
(HVDC) cable link crossing Bass Strait
, connecting the Loy Yang Power Station, Victoria
on the Australia
n mainland to the George Town
substation in northern Tasmania
. It can supply some of the peak load capacity to the mainland of Australia and take some of the excess base load capacity off the coal fired generators on the mainland to supply Tasmania, leading to all round economic and pollution savings. Tasmania benefits in that it has less need further to invest in base load generation and can profit by selling peak load power into a larger market.
The cable has also been used to supply power to Tasmania in times of drought.
With this power cable there is also included a fibre optic communications cable. The cable is owned by CitySpring Infrastructure Trust
(CitySpring).
.
On 1 December 2005, electrical power flowed across Basslink for the first time, as part of the testing procedure. At midnight on the morning of Saturday, 29 April 2006, the link was officially enabled for commercial trading of energy on the National Electricity Market
.
On 31 August 2007, CitySpring Infrastructure Trust, a wholly owned subsidiary of Temasek
, completed the acquisition of Basslink with a total enterprise value of A$1.175 billion.
It consists of: long submarine power cable
from McGaurans Beach near Giffard, Victoria to Four Mile Bluff above George Town in Tasmania. The cable weighs 60 kg/m. It is the second longest submarine power cable in the world. (see also NorNed
) overhead power line to the Victorian coast underground cable in Victoria overhead line section to the Tasmanian coast underground cable in Tasmania.
The pylons of Basslink are of an unusual type. They have two asymmetric crossbars with different lengths. The high voltage line is mounted on the upmost longer crossbar, while the electrode line is carried by the lower smaller crossbar, which shows in the opposite direction.
. This is notable as, once it is in commercial operation, it will be the first non-Telstra
operated fibre cable crossing Bass Strait. The Tasmanian Government
intends to use it, as well as the TasGovNet fibre backbone, as part of the Connect Tasmania Core
infrastructure to facilitate a more competitive telecommunications industry within the state. The link was also to be used by the now defunct OPEL
network.
The Basslink fibre between Loy Yang and Georgetown went into operational testing in April 2009 and went live in July 2009.
Basslink Telecoms was officially launched on Thursday 16 July 2009 by the Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett, Federal Minister for Communications Stephen Conroy and Basslink CEO Malcolm Eccles.
High-voltage direct current
A high-voltage, direct current electric power transmission system uses direct current for the bulk transmission of electrical power, in contrast with the more common alternating current systems. For long-distance transmission, HVDC systems may be less expensive and suffer lower electrical losses...
(HVDC) cable link crossing Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
, connecting the Loy Yang Power Station, Victoria
Loy Yang Power Station, Victoria
Loy Yang Power Station is a brown coal fired power station located on the outskirts of the city of Traralgon, in south eastern Victoria, Australia. Loy Yang is a base load supply station, and produces about one third of Victoria's electricity requirements...
on the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n mainland to the George Town
George Town, Tasmania
George Town is one of the larger towns in north-east Tasmania, on the eastern bank of the mouth of the Tamar River. At the 2006 census, George Town had a population of 4,266. It is the regional centre of the George Town Council Local Government Area....
substation in northern Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. It can supply some of the peak load capacity to the mainland of Australia and take some of the excess base load capacity off the coal fired generators on the mainland to supply Tasmania, leading to all round economic and pollution savings. Tasmania benefits in that it has less need further to invest in base load generation and can profit by selling peak load power into a larger market.
The cable has also been used to supply power to Tasmania in times of drought.
With this power cable there is also included a fibre optic communications cable. The cable is owned by CitySpring Infrastructure Trust
CitySpring Infrastructure Trust
CitySpring Infrastructure Trust owns four utility assets, namely City Gas and SingSpring in Singapore, and Basslink Interconnector and Basslink Telecoms in Australia....
(CitySpring).
History
The interconnector was constructed between 2003 and 2005 as an asset of National Grid Australia Pty Ltd, which itself was owned by UK company National Grid plcNational Grid plc
National Grid plc is a multinational electricity and gas utility company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. Its principal activities are in the United Kingdom and northeastern United States and it is one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world.National Grid is listed on...
.
On 1 December 2005, electrical power flowed across Basslink for the first time, as part of the testing procedure. At midnight on the morning of Saturday, 29 April 2006, the link was officially enabled for commercial trading of energy on the National Electricity Market
National Electricity Market
The National Electricity Market is the name of the Australian wholesale electricity market and the associated synchronous electricity transmission grid....
.
On 31 August 2007, CitySpring Infrastructure Trust, a wholly owned subsidiary of Temasek
Temasek Holdings
Temasek Holdings is an investment company owned by the government of Singapore. With an international staff of 380 people, it manages a portfolio of about S$193 billion at end of March 2011, focused primarily in Asia...
, completed the acquisition of Basslink with a total enterprise value of A$1.175 billion.
Overview
Basslink is a monopolar HVDC operating at a nominal voltage of 400 kV DC. The nominal rating of the link is 500 MW although it is capable of transmitting 630 MW from George Town to Loy Yang for up to 4 hours.It consists of: long submarine power cable
Submarine power cable
Submarine power cables are major transmission cables for carrying electric power below the surface of the water. These are called "submarine" because they usually carry electric power beneath salt water but it is also possible to use submarine power cables beneath fresh water...
from McGaurans Beach near Giffard, Victoria to Four Mile Bluff above George Town in Tasmania. The cable weighs 60 kg/m. It is the second longest submarine power cable in the world. (see also NorNed
NorNed
NorNed is a long HVDC submarine power cable between Feda in Norway and the seaport of Eemshaven in the Netherlands, which interconnects both countries' electricity grids. It is the longest submarine power cable in the world. Budgeted at €550 million, and completed at a cost of €600m, the...
) overhead power line to the Victorian coast underground cable in Victoria overhead line section to the Tasmanian coast underground cable in Tasmania.
The pylons of Basslink are of an unusual type. They have two asymmetric crossbars with different lengths. The high voltage line is mounted on the upmost longer crossbar, while the electrode line is carried by the lower smaller crossbar, which shows in the opposite direction.
Communications cable
The Basslink cable also includes a run of dark fibreDark fiber
A dark fiber or unlit fiber is an unused Optical fiber, available for use in fiber-optic communication.The term dark fiber was originally used when referring to the potential network capacity of telecommunication infrastructure, but now also refers to the increasingly common practice of leasing...
. This is notable as, once it is in commercial operation, it will be the first non-Telstra
Telstra
Telstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....
operated fibre cable crossing Bass Strait. The Tasmanian Government
Government of Tasmania
The form of the Government of Tasmania is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
intends to use it, as well as the TasGovNet fibre backbone, as part of the Connect Tasmania Core
Connect Tasmania Core
The Connect Tasmania Core is the name used by the Government of Tasmania to refer to a fibre optic communications network linking all major cities of Tasmania to Victoria...
infrastructure to facilitate a more competitive telecommunications industry within the state. The link was also to be used by the now defunct OPEL
OPEL Networks
OPEL Networks Pty Limited was a telecommunications provider that was to establish wholesale broadband services in regional areas of Australia in the form of WiMAX and ADSL2+ via a network of DSLAMs. The network was also to include terrestrial and undersea backhaul...
network.
The Basslink fibre between Loy Yang and Georgetown went into operational testing in April 2009 and went live in July 2009.
Basslink Telecoms was officially launched on Thursday 16 July 2009 by the Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett, Federal Minister for Communications Stephen Conroy and Basslink CEO Malcolm Eccles.
Sites
- LoyYang Static Inverter Plant: 38°15′45"S 146°36′29"E
- Victorian Cable Terminal: 38°24′22"S 147°4′6"E
- Georgetown Static Inverter Plant: 41°6′53"S 146°53′31"E
External links
- Basslink Site
- http://www.engaust.com.au/magazines/en/pdf/ElectNewsNov.pdf
- http://www.nationalgrid.com.au/document.php?objectID=102
- Get the Basslink Fibre Going!
- Siemens article with photo of Loy Yang DC to AC converter