SA’s emergency diesel generators fired up to supply Victoria as heat tests national energy grid

South Australia’s emergency diesel generators have been fired up for the first time as extreme heat tested the national energy grid - a historic move our State Government says was needed to keep the lights on in Victoria.

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South Australia’s emergency diesel generators have been fired up for the first time as extreme heat tested the national energy grid - a historic move our State Government says was needed to keep the lights on in Victoria.

Both the major AFL states sweltered during Thursday’s heatwave, as Melbourne endured a relatively mild 40C when compared to the record-setting temperatures across SA.

Shortly after 5.30pm, SA’s diesel generators were flipped on under emergency measures put in place by the Australian Energy Market Operator.

The former Labor government bought the generators as part of its energy plan after a round of forced blackouts in February 2017 which took 90,000 homes and businesses offline in record heat. Their estimated lifetime cost is $610 million.

Diesel generators at the old Holden factory at Elizabeth. Picture: APR Energy

The State Government says it received the order to fire up the generators from AEMO late Thursday afternoon.

At the time, SA was meeting its own energy demand from local sources. The vast bulk was coming from gas, and about 10 per cent from wind.

However, Victoria had huge shortfalls and was calling for extra supply from NSW and Tasmania as well as SA.

AEMO has the ability to call for emergency supplies like the diesel generators to come on in desperate circumstances to avoid blackouts.

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SA experienced some minor power outages Thursday, including about 4000 homes going out on the Lefevre Peninsula north of Port Adelaide around dinner time.

They were believed to be due to local infrastructure failures, and not supply shortages.

While the worst of the heat in Adelaide had passed by late afternoon, energy use continued to surge into the early evening before reaching a maximum 3004MW at 7pm.

It fell short of the record power demand of 3399MW in the SA heatwave of January 2011.

Earlier, AEMO chief executive officer Audrey Zibelman warned the energy situation was “very tight” and steps were being taken to ensure big users scaled down operations or new generators brought online in an emergency.

High demand and limited power supply sent prices skyrocketing as the wholesale cost of a megawatt hour of energy in SA hit the maximum $14,500 at 5pm. That compares to a price in normal conditions of about $100. While households don’t immediately pay the cost, it is factored into new retail rates set by power companies each year.

SA connects only to Victoria in the national grid. The SA Government wants a link to coal-rich NSW to spread risk from extreme weather and export green power that goes to waste on windy days.