Hydro Tasmania

After an impressive 43 years at Hydro Tasmania, we fondly farewell a legend – Ricky Beswick! ⚡ Ricky started with the Hydro-Electric Commission in 1981 as a 17-year-old Trainee Technical Officer at our Moonah labs. Fast forward to today, and he’s added so much value to our Commercial team and our broader business. “In one sense, both the most challenging and the most enjoyable thing at work has been the same: working with smart, knowledgeable, committed people in a complex environment with a strong commitment to the state and ethical behaviour,” Ricky shared. “I’ll miss the place and the people that have been the backdrop of all my adult life, particularly working alongside the control room with 24/7 operations, where there was always something happening.” "Ricky has remained a critical contributor through an ever-changing landscape, which is a mark of dedication to his work and community leaving a lasting legacy. Thank you, Ricky!" said Vedran Kovac, Executive GM Commercial. Thanks for all your contributions over four decades, Ricky 🙏 We’ll miss you, and wish you all the best in your next adventure!

We’re proud to be donating over 200 computer monitors to charities, families, and students all across Tasmania! 🖥️ With the help of Neighbourhood Houses Tasmania Inc., The Salvation Army, Beacon Foundation, Tasmanian Council of Social Service and Vinnies Tasmania the surplus monitors, purchased at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when hundreds of staff needed to quickly transition to working from home — will provide a much needed resource for members of the community. Read the full story here 👇 https://lnkd.in/ghp6pQdy

We're so excited to share that Hydro Tasmania has won the Student Employer of the Year Award! 🏆 What an exciting way to round out 2024! This award recognises employers in Tasmania that support international students by providing professional development, training, and career opportunities. Our Graduate Program has long welcomed international graduates, fostering an environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to grow. A huge thank you to Amber, one of our talented IT graduates, for nominating our organisation and sharing her experiences: "As an international graduate at Hydro Tasmania, I have always felt valued, supported, and free from discrimination. The company's strong support network ensures all graduates, regardless of background, receive equal opportunities for growth and success." 📸 Pictured below is Graduate IT Analyst, Amber Nguyen, Talent and Early Careers Partner, Hayley Crichton, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lead, Abbey Fancourt, at the Study Tasmania awards night. This year we supported the pilot Global Engineering Talent (GET) Program, offering a 12-week internship coupled with a six-week development course, designed to equip overseas-trained engineers with the tools they need to succeed in Australian workplaces. You can read more at 👉 https://lnkd.in/gV76GFtQ

Last week we held our annual Kid's Christmas Party! With games, activities and a visit from Santa Clause himself, it was a fun afternoon for our employees and their families ❤️   If you'd like to learn more about what it's like to work with us, including our 15 week paid parental leave for all parents, visit www.hydro.com.au/careers ⚡

Yesterday, we celebrated International Day of People with Disability with an inspiring ‘Human Library’ event, hosted in collaboration with A Fairer World World. This session aimed to break down barriers, foster empathy, and deepen understanding of disability. The event featured three ‘Human Books’ from A Fairer World who shared their personal experiences of living with disability. They invited thought-provoking questions from the audience, creating an open and meaningful dialogue. It was also a great connection to have one of our current employees be a ‘Human Book’ and share his experiences. "Hearing the rich and personal stories of the 'Human Books' firsthand was such a privilege," said Abbey Fancourt, Hydro Tasmania’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Lead. "They offered invaluable lessons in disability awareness and inclusion, helping us build understanding and empathy in a way that only direct engagement with lived experiences can”. As part of our ongoing commitment to inclusion, our second Disability Inclusion Action Plan is well underway. We look forward to launching this initiative next year as we continue to foster a more inclusive workplace for all. Pictured is Andy Aisbett, David Smith, Josh Cooper, Abbey Fancourt and Gabrielle Gartrell.

We are very pleased to announce that Rachel Watson will step into the role of Chief Executive Officer. Chair Richard Bolt announced Ms Watson’s appointment today, outlining her impressive career that brings international executive-level experience in hydro, solar and wind power, and a strong track record in infrastructure development, retail, finance and legal. “Rachel has the breadth and depth of experience to lead the sophisticated and complex operations of Hydro Tasmania, enable the growth of renewables and industrial load, and firm Tasmania’s power from upgraded and new hydropower and pumped storage stations,” Mr Bolt said. Following an open and thorough recruitment process, Ms Watson will become the first woman to hold the substantive CEO role at Hydro Tasmania. Her appointment means the executive team will be among the very few in the energy industry with a majority of women. “I am honoured and delighted to take up this role,” Ms Watson said. “There are very exciting opportunities and challenges ahead and I am really looking forward to working on Hydro Tasmania's ambitious agenda, together with the Hydro Tasmania team.” Erin van Maanen has been the acting CEO since Ian Brooksbank retired in October, supporting our people to continue the great work underway across Hydro Tasmania, Entura and Momentum Energy. Erin will continue in the role until Ms Watson officially starts in April next year.

Keen to take a deep dive into the latest from Hydro Tasmania? Our industry newsletter offers a behind the scenes look at our major projects and the work we do right across the state! Sign up now for our bumper end of year edition 📫 👇 https://lnkd.in/gGER2_53

The 14th annual Tasmanian Geoscience Forum brought together geoscientists from across the state to share insights and progress into exploration, mining and research. Hydro Tasmania and Entura were proud to sponsor the event at Tullah on the West Coast. The event is the biggest for the Tasmanian geoscience community. Entura’s Senior Geologist Joe Booth showcased the comprehensive geotechnical investigations that are supporting our two major projects – a proposed redevelopment of the Tarraleah hydropower scheme and new pumped hydro at Cethana. Pictured: Entura’s Senior Geologist Joe Booth with Entura Geologists Ben Speakman and Olivia Wilson 💡

We’re excited to announce we’ve finalised key terms for an offtake agreement with local renewables company TasRex! Under the agreement, Hydro Tasmania will buy energy generated at a new $500 million solar farm, to be built by TasRex at Connorville Estates, near Cressy in the Northern Midlands ☀️ It was fantastic to officially announce this agreement alongside TasRex CEO Bess Clark, Minister for Energy and Renewables Nick Duigan, and owner of Connorville Estates Roderic O'Connor over the weekend. At 288-megawatts, the solar farm will be capable of powering around 70,000 homes, and when operating at full capacity, it will be Tasmania’s fourth largest generator! ⚡ Hydro Tasmania Acting CEO Erin van Maanen said the agreement demonstrated Hydro Tasmania’s support for new renewable development in Tasmania.  “The deal gives TasRex the confidence to proceed with this major development and deliver an important new source of renewable energy to help power Tasmanian homes and businesses,” Ms van Maanen said. Variable renewable energy like wind and solar complement the island’s incredible hydropower resources. “Wind and solar are the fastest, lowest cost way to deliver new energy supply. Hydropower can fill in the gaps when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow,” said Ms van Maanen. “This is the best way to deliver a reliable energy system that meets the growing demand for energy and minimises costs to Tasmanian consumers.” nicholas duigan TasRex Pty Ltd

Over the last two years, a major refurbishment at Rowallan Power Station has been undertaken by around 160 Hydro Tasmania employees and contractors. This project has been much more than just maintenance, with the team overhauling almost every part of the power station as part of this ongoing project ⚡ “Because the scope of Rowallan’s refurbishment has been so broad, we engaged an ultra-specialist workforce, including specialists in laser surveying, wire concrete cutting, ultra-high pressure concrete demolition, specialist large diameter machinists, turbine commissioners… the list goes on,” says Site Manager, Scott Tatsi. For Scott, managing the Rowallan site during this outage has been a transformative experience. "The learning and development of my own skills and abilities have grown significantly during this project. The knowledge I’ve gained here at Rowallan will be instrumental in my future endeavours.” Read more about what it’s like to be part of projects just like this one at 👉 https://lnkd.in/gRAkhZaJ