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Rowallan Dam
Rowallan Power Station is located in Tasmania
Rowallan Power Station
Location of the Rowallan Dam in Tasmania
Country Australia
Location North-western Tasmania
Coordinates 41°43′48″S 146°12′36″E / 41.73000°S 146.21000°E / -41.73000; 146.21000
Purpose Power
Status Operational
Construction began 1963 (1963)
Opening date 1967 (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)
Power station
Name Rowallan Power Station
Operator(s) Hydro Tasmania
Commission date 1968 (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)

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 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.

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