Rowallan Power Station

Power station in north-western Tasmania

Dam in North-western Tasmania

41°43′48″S 146°12′36″E / 41.73000°S 146.21000°E / -41.73000; 146.21000PurposePowerStatusOperationalConstruction began1963 (1963)Opening date1967 (1967)Owner(s)Hydro TasmaniaDam and spillwaysType of damEmbankment damImpoundsMersey RiverHeight43 metres (141 ft)Length579 metres (1,900 ft)Dam volume497 thousand cubic metres (17.6×10^⁶ cu ft)Spillways1Spillway typeUncontrolledSpillway capacity685 cubic metres per second (24,200 cu ft/s)ReservoirCreatesRowallan LakeTotal capacity130,490 megalitres (4,608×10^⁶ cu ft)Catchment area345 square kilometres (133 sq mi)Surface area88.6 hectares (219 acres)Maximum length11 kilometres (6.8 mi)Normal elevation488 metres (1,601 ft)Rowallan Power StationOperator(s)Hydro TasmaniaCommission date1968 (1968)TypeConventionalHydraulic head49 metres (161 ft)Turbines1 x 10.5 MW (14,100 hp)
Maier Francis turbineInstalled capacity10.5 megawatts (14,100 hp)Capacity factor0.95Annual generation45 gigawatt-hours (160 TJ)Website
hydro.com.au/energy/our-power-stations/mersey-forth^[1]

The Rowallan Power Station is a conventional hydroelectric power station located in north-western Tasmania, Australia. The station is located 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of Liena.

Technical details

Part of the Mersey–Forth scheme that comprises eight hydroelectric power stations, the Rowallan Power Station is the first station in the scheme. The power station is located approximately 200 metres (660 ft) downstream of Rowallan Dam, which forms Lake Rowallan. The dam is one of the two main headwater storages in the Mersey Forth scheme and assists in regulating the water supply to four downstream power stations.^[2]

The power station was commissioned in 1971 by the Hydro Electric Corporation (TAS) and the station has one Maier Francis turbine, with a generating capacity of 10.5 megawatts (14,100 hp) of electricity. The station output, estimated to be 45 gigawatt-hours (160 TJ) annually,^[1] is fed to TasNetworks' transmission grid via a 22 kV/110 kV transmission line to the switchyard transformer.^[3]

Rowallan Lake

The associated Rowallan Lake which is 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) long and 9 square kilometres (3.5 sq mi) in area, is 488 metres (1,601 ft) above sea level and is bordered by Clumner Bluff and Howells Bluff.^[4] The reservoir is managed by the Tasmanian Inland Fisheries Service as a trout fishery; both Brown trout and Rainbow trout are stocked; there are also native Climbing galaxias, Spotted galaxias and River blackfish.^[5] Lake Rowallan is also the starting point for walks into nearby highland areas including the Walls of Jerusalem National Park.^[6] In 2010, concerns were raised about the integrity of the embankment dam.^[7]

Etymology

Both the power station and lake are named in honour of Thomas Corbett, 2nd Baron Rowallan, the former Governor of Tasmania.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b "Register of Large Dams in Australia". Dams information. Australian National Committee on Large Dams. 2010. Archived from the original (Excel (requires download)) on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
^ "Mersey - Forth". Energy. Hydro Tasmania. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
^ "Rowallan Power Station: Technical fact sheet" (PDF). Mersey-Forth Catchment. Hydro Tasmania. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
^ ^a ^b "2006 Legislative Council elections—dates announced" (PDF) (Press release). Tasmanian Electoral Commission. 23 March 2006. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "Lake Rowallan - Devonport & Cradle Mountain Natural Attractions". Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
^ Ricketts, Andrew (22 March 2010). "Rowallan Dam fears: Is it being kept secret?". Tasmanian Times. Retrieved 3 July 2015.