A fire that gutted one of Tasmania’s hydro-electric power stations in the Central Highlands last week was accidental, fire investigators have found.
The Tasmania Fire Service says specialist examinations of the Tungatinah Power Station scene are now complete, though the broader investigation will run for several months.
Deputy chief officer Matt Lowe said crews had established where the fire started but were still working to determine what set it off.
“Following extensive scene examinations, fire investigators have determined the fire was accidental,” he said.
“The preliminary investigation findings have identified several potential ignition sources which will be subject to further investigation over the coming weeks and months.”
“However the fire has originated on the assembly bay floor, away from the main turbines.”
The blaze broke out around 9pm on September 2 at the station near Tarraleah, gutting the roughly 70-year-old building and leaving it a shell.
No one was on site at the time of the blaze and no one was injured.
Tungatinah was Tasmania’s fifth-largest hydro station, generating close to 5% of the state’s power.
Hydro Tasmania chief executive Rachel Watson said early findings pointed to a workshop area rather than the generators.
“Initial investigations show the fire started on the assembly bay floor, which is a workshop area away from the generating equipment,” she said.
Watson said the building was damaged beyond saving.
“The building has sustained significant damage and unfortunately will need to be demolished,” she said.
“We won’t be able to confirm the state of the generating equipment until we can get full and safe access to that part of the station.”
She said it was still too early to say how long a rebuild would take, with much depending on the condition of the turbines.
Lowe said the examination had been a difficult one.
“The investigation process so far has been complex due to the size of the facility, the significant structural damage sustained during the fire and severe weather conditions experienced in the area last week,” he said.
He said investigators had worked closely with Hydro Tasmania and other agencies throughout the process and thanked the firefighters and other crews who responded.
Watson said the loss had hit workers hard, particularly the Derwent team and others who had worked at the remote site over decades.
“This is not just a building to us. When you work in a remote location for so many years, you build a strong connection to that place,” she said.
The state government has pledged to rebuild the station, though no timeline or cost has been set.
Energy and Renewables Minister Nick Duigan said last week the station would return to service.
Hydro Tasmania has said a rebuild will likely run to hundreds of millions of dollars and that the station was fully insured.
