By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Sept. 11 -- Duke Energy International (DEI) unit Duke Energy Corp., Charlotte, NC, started up its $246 million Tasmanian natural gas pipeline, Australia's longest subsea pipeline project. The newly completed pipeline, which links Tasmania to the Australian mainland gas network via connection to the DEI Eastern gas pipeline at Longford, has begun transporting natural gas to Tasmania. The pipeline project includes 455 miles of subsea and underground pipeline and the conversion of the 120 Mw Bell Bay power station on Tasmania to natural gas-fired operations (OGJ, June 3, 2002, p. 9).
Duke Energy said that the pipeline "delivers on a promise. . .to bring a new, competitive, and reliable energy supply to Tasmania to fuel industrial growth and spur long-term employment opportunities in the state."
Duke also announced the start of construction of the VicHub project, a DEI initiative that also will enable gas to flow freely between Victoria, New South Wales, and Tasmania through construction of a link between the Eastern gas pipeline, Tasmanian gas pipeline, and the GasNet pipeline system.