Rowallan 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.

Rowallan Dam
Location of the Rowallan Dam in Tasmania
Country	Australia
Location	North-western Tasmania
Coordinates	41°43′48″S 146°12′36″E
Purpose	Power
Status	Operational
Construction began	1963
Opening date	1967
Owner(s)	Hydro Tasmania
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment dam
Impounds	Mersey River
Height	43 metres (141 ft)
Length	579 metres (1,900 ft)
Dam volume	497 thousand cubic metres (17.6×10^6 cu ft)
Spillways	1
Spillway type	Uncontrolled
Spillway capacity	685 cubic metres per second (24,200 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Rowallan Lake
Total capacity	130,490 megalitres (4,608×10^6 cu ft)
Catchment area	345 square kilometres (133 sq mi)
Surface area	88.6 hectares (219 acres)
Maximum length	11 kilometres (6.8 mi)
Normal elevation	488 metres (1,601 ft)
Rowallan Power Station
Operator(s)	Hydro Tasmania
Commission date	1968
Type	Conventional
Hydraulic head	49 metres (161 ft)
Turbines	1 x 10.5 MW (14,100 hp) Maier Francis turbine
Installed capacity	10.5 megawatts (14,100 hp)
Capacity factor	0.95
Annual generation	45 gigawatt-hours (160 TJ)
Website hydro.com.au/energy/our-power-stations/mersey-forth
[1]

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 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][8]

Etymology

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