Tasmania's quiet workhorse just got a brand-new lease on life — clean hydro for decades more

Poatina is Tasmania's second-largest hydro power station, quietly generating about a tenth of the island state's electricity. Its first round of major upgrades is now done: the inside of the penstock and the 5.6-kilometre headrace tunnel — the giant waterways that feed the turbines — have been recoated, electrical systems overhauled, and one 60-year-old generating unit refurbished. Energy minister Nick Duigan says new materials and technology will make generation more efficient and reliable for decades. And Hydro Tasmania is going further: a A$200 million (about US$140 million) program to upgrade all six turbines, with the second unit due in early 2027.