Basslink
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The Basslink () electricity interconnector is a
high-voltage direct current A high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electric power transmission system uses direct current (DC) for electric power transmission, in contrast with the more common alternating current (AC) transmission systems. Most HVDC links use voltages betwe ...
(HVDC) cable linking the electricity grids of the states of Victoria and
Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, crossing
Bass Strait Bass Strait () is a strait separating the island state of Tasmania from the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland (more specifically the coast of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, with the exception of the land border across Boundary Islet). The ...
, connecting the Loy Yang Power Station, Victoria on the Australian mainland to the George Town substation in northern Tasmania. Basslink is bidirectional and enables
Hydro Tasmania Hydro Tasmania, formerly the Hydro-Electric Commission (HEC), is a Tasmanian Government business enterprise which is the main electricity generator in Tasmania, Australia. Originally oriented towards hydro-electricity, owing to Tasmania's dr ...
to supply some of the peak load capacity to the Australian mainland and take some of the excess power from the mainland when the generation on the mainland exceeds the demand. Financial benefits from the Basslink investment included reduced or deferred need to invest in further base load generation facilities, and potential to profit from selling peak load power into a market in which prices are generally higher, and because the cable was also used to supply power to Tasmania in times of drought, as most of Tasmania's
electricity generation Electricity generation is the process of generating electric power from sources of primary energy. For electric utility, utilities in the electric power industry, it is the stage prior to its Electricity delivery, delivery (Electric power transm ...
is
hydroelectricity Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
. A government review of Basslink in 2011 found, "Basslink-related costs have been around $130 million ($ nominal) greater than the actual revenue benefits... oweverTaking both direct and indirect sources of value uch as increased energy security in times of drought">energy_security.html" ;"title="uch as increased energy security">uch as increased energy security in times of droughttogether, Hydro Tasmania concludes that over the period 2006-07 to 2010-11 the average net benefit of Basslink to its business is in excess of $40 million per annum". However economist John Lawrence estimated that the 2015-2016 Basslink outage cost Hydro "between $140 and $180 million." Basslink is owned by APA Group (Australia) after acquisition in October 2022.


History

When the Board of Hydro Tasmania originally entered into a preliminary agreement to build Basslink in 2000, it was projected to cost A$500 million. Efforts to prevent corrosion of pipelines and other factors ultimately meant it cost around A$800m to build. 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 plc National Grid plc is a British multinational electricity and gas utility company headquartered in London, England. Its principal activities are in the United Kingdom, where it owns and operates electricity and natural gas transmission networks ...
. 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 The National Electricity Market (NEM) is an arrangement in Australia's electricity sector for the connection of the electricity transmission grids of the eastern and southern Australia states and territories to create a cross-state wholesale ele ...
. On 31 August 2007, CitySpring Infrastructure Trust, a wholly owned subsidiary of Temasek, completed the acquisition of Basslink Pty. Ltd. group, i.e. a conglomerate of 10 commercial subjects owning the Basslink cable infrastructure, with a total
enterprise value Enterprise value (EV), total enterprise value (TEV), or firm value (FV) is an economic measure reflecting the market value of a business (i.e. as distinct from market price). It is a sum of claims by all claimants: creditors (secured and unsecure ...
of AU$1.175 billion. Since then, CitySpring Infrastructure Trust has morphed into the Keppel Infrastructure Trust, which is listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, two thirds owned by the public and one third by Temasek, the $350 billion sovereign wealth fund of the Singapore government. Basslink derives most of its cashflow from a 25-year term Basslink Services Agreement with
Hydro Tasmania Hydro Tasmania, formerly the Hydro-Electric Commission (HEC), is a Tasmanian Government business enterprise which is the main electricity generator in Tasmania, Australia. Originally oriented towards hydro-electricity, owing to Tasmania's dr ...
, the electricity producer owned by
Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
, which commenced on 28 April 2006. Hydro Tasmania pays a Basslink interconnector facility fee for the transport of the electrical energy of about AU$70 million p.a. This facility fee is said to have a variable factor linked to the interest rate. The direction of power is usually from Tasmania to the mainland, but reversed in 2020, due to dry weather causing less hydropower.


2015-2016 outage

On 21 December 2015, Basslink was disconnected due to a faulty interconnector approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) off the Tasmanian coast. It was originally expected that Basslink would be repaired and returned to service by 19 March 2016, but the link was not restored until 13 June 2016. A separate non-cable fault caused another failure on 22 June. Power was restored in the evening of 23 June, after almost 36 hours.


2021-2022 Receivership and Contract Dispute

On 12 November 2021, the companies that owned and operated the Basslink undersea power cable between Tasmania and Victoria were placed into voluntary administration. The company owed $A40 million to the Tasmanian state government and Hydro—Tasmania for the 2015 outage. On 10 February 2022, the Tasmanian Government through Hydro Tasmania terminated the Basslink Services Agreement (BSA) contract. The interconnector cable would remain in service while negotiations continue with the administrators of Basslink to alter contract terms during the period of receivership, with Hydro Tasmania offering a one month extension of key BSA terms as an interim solution whilst alternative arrangements are discussed. However, this proposed interim arrangement was rejected by Basslink on 16 February 2022.


2022 APA Group Acquisition

On 7 September 2022, APA Group (Australia) announced its selection as the preferred bidder for Basslink. On 20 October 2022, APA Group announced that it has completed acquisition of Basslink for $A773 million.


Technical description

Basslink is a monopolar with metallic return HVDC operating at a nominal voltage of 400 kV DC. The nominal rating of the link is although it is capable of transmitting from George Town to Loy Yang for up to 4 hours. It consists of: * long
submarine power cable A submarine power cable is a transmission cable for carrying electric power below the surface of the water.McGaurans Beach near Giffard, Victoria to Five Mile Bluff () above George Town in Tasmania. The cable weighs 60 kg/m. It was the fourth longest submarine power cable in the world but has been surpassed and is now the eighth longest.( North Sea Link at 720 km, NorNed at 580 km, and SAPEI at 420 km are longer). * 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 uppermost longer crossbar, while the electrode line is carried by the lower smaller crossbar, which projects in the opposite direction.


Basslink Telecoms

The Basslink cable also includes a 12-core fibre optic telecommunications cable, the first non–
Telstra Telstra Group Limited is an Australian telecommunications company that builds and operates telecommunications networks and markets related products and services. It is a member of the S&P/ASX 20 stock index, and is Australia's largest telecomm ...
operated fibre cable crossing Bass Strait. Basslink Telecoms commenced commercial operation on 3 July 2009 and was officially launched on 16 July. The
Tasmanian Government The Tasmanian Government is the executive branch of the Australian state of Tasmania. The leader of the party or coalition with the Confidence and supply, confidence of the Tasmanian House of Assembly, House of Assembly, the lower house of the ...
uses 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 Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Gr ...
network.


Sites

* LoyYang Static Inverter Plant: * Victorian Cable Terminal: * Tasmanian Cable Terminal: * Georgetown Static Inverter Plant:


References


External links


Basslink Site

Get the Basslink Fibre Going!

Siemens article with photo of Loy Yang DC to AC converter

Basslink Outage to be resolved by March 2016
{{EnergyTasmania Energy infrastructure completed in 2005 Submarine power cables Electric power transmission systems in Australia Communications in Australia Connections across Bass Strait HVDC transmission lines Bass Strait 2005 establishments in Australia 2016 Tasmanian energy crisis Electric power infrastructure in Victoria (state) Electric power infrastructure in Tasmania