Country Australia Purpose Power Opening date 1967 (1967) Opened 1967 Catchment area 345 km² Construction began 1963 | Location North-western Tasmania Status Operational Type of dam Embankment dam Height 43 m Owner Hydro Tasmania Impound Mersey River | |
Similar Paloona Power Station, Cethana Power Station, Fisher Power Station, Devils Gate Power Station, Liapootah Power Station | ||
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.
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Technical details
Part of the Mersey–Forth scheme that comprises eight hydroelectric power stations, the Devils Gate 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.
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, is fed to TasNetworks' transmission grid via a 22 kV/110 kV transmission line to the switchyard transformer.
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. 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. Lake Rowallan is also the starting point for walks into nearby highland areas including the Walls of Jerusalem National Park. In 2010, concerns were raised about the integrity of the embankment dam.
Etymology
Both the power station and lake are named in honour of Thomas Corbett, 2nd Baron Rowallan, the former Governor of Tasmania.