Basslink
The Basslink electricity interconnector is a 370 km 500MW high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable crossing Bass Strait, linking Victoria and Tasmania’s electricity grids.
In addition to the continuous transfer of power in either direction, Basslink is designed to operate with a dynamic transfer capacity for short periods of time up to the limits shown in Table 1 . When Basslink was acquired by APA Group in October 2022, this additional dynamic transfer capacity was not available to the market. APA has now installed and commissioned a new Cable Load Prediction System (CLPS) to provide dynamic capacity on Basslink.
The purpose of the CLPS is to make the dynamic capacity available without exceeding the thermal design limits of the cable. The CLPS uses real time modelling to identify the maximum power transfer available over a defined period of time to ensure the cable does not exceed its thermal rating.
Power transfer direction |
Power transfer maximum (MW) – sending end
|
Power transfer maximum (MW) – receiving end |
---|---|---|
Northern-flow (Tas to Vic) |
630 |
594 |
Southern-flow (Vic to Tas) |
500 |
478 |
Table 1 - Power transfer maximum limits
Following successful installation and commissioning, dynamic capacity was made available on Basslink for commercial operations from 17th June 2024. APA bids dynamic capacity into AEMO’s ST PASA (Short Term Projected Assessment of System Adequacy) on a 7-day ahead basis. The CLPS constantly calculates maximum available future capacity based on actual power transfer and provides an output every five minutes. The CLPS will calculate maximum transfer values available up to the limits shown in Table 1. The CLPS forecasts the maximum capacity for a variable maximum time period (15 minutes up to 24 hours).
If Basslink has been utilised below the continuous capacity (this changes each month and the values are available to the market through PASA) for a period of time (blue shaded section below), the cable and the environment around the cable will cool. This pre-cooling will enable Basslink’s dynamic capacity (red shaded section below) to exceed the continuous capacity for a period until the thermal limit is reached.

The APA owned Basslink electricity interconnector spans a total of 370 kilometres, from George Town in Tasmania, across Bass Strait to Gippsland where it connects with the Victorian electricity grid at Loy Yang. Basslink have easements which accompany the 65 kilometres of overhead line and 8 kilometres of underground cable in both Tasmania and Victoria.
What is an easement?
A corridor of land, or ‘right of way’, for infrastructure is secured by an easement. An easement confers a right to a third party, in this instance Basslink, to gain access to private property used or occupied by its infrastructure. It is acquired for a specific purpose. However, the registration of an easement over private land does not affect land ownership - the landholder continues to own and have rights over the land affected by the easement.
For Basslink, easements have been established for the transmission line and underground cable. Additionally, there are also easements for access, for example where it is not appropriate to access a tower along the infrastructure easement.
The average width of an easement for Basslink’s overhead transmission line is 55 metres. The easement allows for the swing of the lines due to wind, plus vegetation and electrical safety clearances.
The width of the easement for Basslink’s underground cable is 11.5 metres.
Further advice can be found in Basslink’s living with easements brochure.
If you require an urgent response, for example to a downed transmission line or notice suspicious activity, please contact our easement hotline:
Basslink Easement Hotline: 1800 011 165
Additionally, if you have any doubt about what you can or cannot do on any of Basslink’s easement, please do not hesitate to also contact us via our easement hotline for clarification.
If you are preparing to dig any type of excavation, remember to contact Before You Dig Australia at www.byda.com.au or call on 1100. Damage to underground assets is not only costly, it can also be extremely unsafe and may lead to death or severe disability.
The longest section of the Basslink Interconnector is the subsea cable that is 290km long and runs from Four Mile Bluff near George Town in northern Tasmania to McGaurans Beach in Gippsland, Victoria. The cable is steel wire armored, very heavy and is expected to remain deeply buried, but the marine environment is dynamic and Basslink has a precautionary approach to deal with the unexpected.
Basslink works with fishers and other marine professionals as well as State and Commonwealth agencies; and a key result has been the Basslink Code of Conduct for Fishing and Anchoring Safely, which is now in effect. Basslink is committed to ensuring safe fishing along the interconnector.
Other initiatives have been encouragement of the use of high hold cable friendly anchors, supply of the Basslink map in hard copy and the writing and installation of software that can be used on many versions of GPS plotters.
Basslink also facilitates the safe transit of offshore oil and gas structures used in the Gippsland Basin and further afield across the cable route. For further advice please contact us via our contacts page.
Snagged?
Anchoring in the vicinity of the cable should be avoided. In the unlikely event that storm surges have uncovered the cable and you become snagged, do not apply extreme winch power, just abandon the gear, record its location and contact Basslink:
Marine Emergency Hotline 1800 008 767
There are strong laws that apply to you. If you are negligent and cause damage you may be prosecuted and face heavy penalties, but if you take all reasonable measures and you sacrifice your anchor or fishing gear to avoid damaging the cable, you are legally eligible to be compensated for your loss.
Know your location. Catch fish not cables.
Further information is available on the Basslink-Fishing Industry Code of Practice, cable friendly anchors, hardcopy maps and software.
Basslink takes its responsibility to the environment extremely seriously, central to this is our Environmental Policy. Implementation of this policy is found in our Environmental Management System (EMS) core of which is our Operations Environmental Management Plan (OEMP).
Basslink environmental responsibility included an initiative to Rejuvenate, Revegetate, Return an old agricultural property to native vegetation and habitat. In this project Basslink utilised the expertise of Greening Australia. More than 16 million plant seeds were sown on the 280 ha property.
Operations Environmental Management Plan
The Operations Environmental Management Plan contains 16 components including , standard procedure, land access plan, complaints management, and incident reporting procedures that explain how environmental issues will be managed during operation and maintenance.
The OEMP also describes maintenance activities such as:
- Overhead line inspection and maintenance
- Transition station maintenance
- Easement inspection and maintenance
- Converter station maintenance
- Subsea cable maintenance
Basslink Telecoms is a network infrastructure owner, carrier and operator, providing high speed bandwidth services from Tasmania to Victoria.
Contact:
Basslink Telecoms Network Operations Centre (NOC)
Marine Hotline: 1800 008 767
Easement Hotline: 1800 011 165
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ESV - Look up and live | Energy Safe Victoria (esv.vic.gov.au)