There is a more effective and efficient solution
Darley Power Fight regognises the need for an effective and efficient transmission network to transfer energy generated in renewable energy zones to the State power grid. But overhead transmission lines are unsafe, inefficient and will destroy our precious landscape. Underground transmission might be more expensive to install, but it’s safer, more efficient and cheaper over the long-term. It is proven to be of equal cost over the life of the project. Despite these facts, communities from the Ararat region to Sydenham have been told there’s no other way – that AusNet’s massive towers and giant terminal station are the only solution.
HVDC Light – a new technology for a better environment
HVDC Light, based on VSC technology (Voltage Sourced Converter), is designed to transmit power underground and under water, also over long distances. It offers numerous environmental benefits, including “invisible” power lines, neutral electromagnetic fields, oil-free cables and compact converter stations.
High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC)
The community agree there are challenges with undergrounding AC – but we don’t want AC, we never did. We want underground High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC).
Underground Cables
The most appropriate way to minimise fire-risk and the damage to critical infrastructure would be using underground cables.
HVDC and Underground Case Studies
HVDC systems are high-voltage, direct current (HVDC) electric power transmission system (also called a power superhighway or an electrical superhighway). These modern systems use direct current (DC) for the bulk transmission of electrical power, in contrast with the more common and older, alternating current (AC) systems. HVDC systems are a very competitive, flexible and efficient way of transmitting electrical energy with a very low environmental impact.
Marinus Link
Marinus Link is a proposed 1500 megawatt capacity undersea and underground electricity connection to further link Tasmania and Victoria. Marinus Link involves approximately 250 kilometres of undersea High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) cable and approximately 100 kilometres of underground HVDC cable.
Murraylink Interconnector
Murraylink has earned several Australian state and national awards for both environmental and engineering excellence. The interconnector consists of two 180-kilometre long bipolar HVDC cables and is believed to be the world’s longest underground power transmission system.
Directlink (Terranora) Interconnector
Directlink (Terranora) interconnector is a 59-kilometre HVDC land cable route. HVDC VSC was chosen for this project for reasons of low environmental impact of the transmission route.
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Get Involved
The only way to make a difference is to get involved. It’s easy to sit back and wait for others to do something but when you are staring at 75-85m towers in a few years time, you will kicking yourself for not doing something when you had the chance. This is OUR only chance to stop these towers, so get involved now.
Welcome to the home of Darley Power Fight. A group of residents in Darley, Coimadai and Merrimu, united against high voltage transmission towers passing through our backyard. We came together through the realisation the transmission line will divide a narrow corridor between Darley and the Lerderderg State Park; altering landscape character, causing widespread damage to critical habitat for threatened species, increasing fire risk to the Park and thousands of residents, destroy our visual amenity, harm local agriculture and will impact businesses and property values. It will completely desecrate, in a few years, what nature has taken millions of years to create.
