Tungatinah power station remains too dangerous to enter after fire

A drone is being used to inspect the inside of Tasmania’s destroyed Tungatinah Power Station because loose debris and structural damage still make the building unsafe for investigators.

The Tasmania Fire Service is investigating the cause of Wednesday night’s fire at the Central Highlands station. Deputy Chief Officer Matt Lowe told ABC Northern Tasmania that crews were still working to make the scene safe enough for investigators to enter. The drone inspection will help authorities decide where access can be gained.

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At this stage they are still struggling to make the scene safe for the investigators to gain entry.

“This is a large commercial building on an industrial scale and it has been totally destroyed by the fire,” Lowe said. “It is a challenging task at the moment, and at this stage it will be several days of examination of the scene.” The Lyell Highway remains closed between Fourteen Mile Road and Victoria Valley Road, with diversions in place.

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This is a large commercial building on an industrial scale and it has been totally destroyed by the fire.

Tungatinah is Tasmania’s fifth-largest hydroelectric power station and supplies about 5% of the state’s energy. Hydro Tasmania said it had not yet been able to assess the site or determine the condition of the assets and the cost of repairs. Executive Erin van Maanen said remediation would involve “a significant cost,” but the company could not estimate the bill until it assessed the damage.

Van Maanen said Tasmania’s energy supply remained secure because storage levels and available capacity were sufficient to meet demand without Tungatinah. She acknowledged that the station’s closure would affect Hydro Tasmania’s revenue and said the company would manage its portfolio to continue delivering returns to the Tasmanian government.

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We have a really strong and healthy storage position and sufficient capacity across the state without Tungatinah to meet demand.

Questions about maintenance have also surfaced in parliament. Labor leader Josh Willie cited an earlier Hydro Tasmania assessment that described Tungatinah as a priority asset because of its age, performance problems and duty-of-care risks. He asked when the station last received a comprehensive condition and fire-safety assessment, and whether officials had identified maintenance, replacement or fire-protection work. Treasurer Eric Abetz said Hydro Tasmania was actively upgrading its assets.

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It is obviously a significant structure, so there will be a significant cost in terms of remediation.