Devils Gate Power Station

The Devils Gate Power Station is a conventional hydroelectric power station located in north-western Tasmania, Australia. The dam is 84 metres (276 ft) high. It is one of the thinnest concrete arch dams in the world.^[2]

Devils Gate Dam
The Devils Gate Dam double arch wall
Location of the Devils Gate Dam in Tasmania
Country	Australia
Location	North-western Tasmania
Coordinates	41°21′1″S 146°15′48″E
Purpose	Power
Status	Operational
Opening date	1969
Owner(s)	Hydro Tasmania
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Arch dam
Impounds	Forth River
Height	84 metres (276 ft)
Length	134 metres (440 ft)
Dam volume	31 thousand cubic metres (1.1×10^6 cu ft)
Spillways	1
Spillway type	Uncontrolled
Spillway capacity	2,040 cubic metres per second (72,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Lake Barrington
Total capacity	179,940 megalitres (6,355×10^6 cu ft)
Catchment area	742 square kilometres (286 sq mi)
Surface area	66.5 hectares (164 acres)
Devils Gate Power Station
Operator(s)	Hydro Tasmania
Commission date	1969
Type	Conventional
Hydraulic head	68 metres (223 ft)
Turbines	1 x 63 MW (84,000 hp) Boving Francis turbine
Installed capacity	63 megawatts (84,000 hp)
Capacity factor	0.8
Annual generation	314 gigawatt-hours (1,130 TJ)
Website hydro.com.au/clean-energy/our-power-stations/mersey-forth
[1]

Technical details

Part of the Mersey–Forth scheme that comprises seven hydroelectric power stations, the Devils Gate Power Station is the sixth station in the run-of-river scheme. The power station is located below the double-arched concrete Devils Gate Dam which forms Lake Barrington. Water from the lake is fed to the power station by a 150-metre (490 ft) single penstock tunnel.^[3][4]

The power station was commissioned in 1969 by the Hydro Electric Corporation and has one Boving Francis turbine, with a generating capacity of 63 megawatts (84,000 hp) of electricity.^[5] The station output, estimated to be 314 gigawatt-hours (1,130 TJ) annually,^[1] is fed to TasNetworks' transmission grid via an 11 kV/110 kV Siemens generator transformer to the outdoor switchyard.^[6]

Recreation

Lake Barrington hosted the 1990 World Rowing Championships.^[7]

Engineering heritage

The dam received a Historic Engineering Marker from Engineers Australia as part of its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.^[2]