Rubicon Hydroelectric Scheme facts for kids
The Rubicon Hydroelectric Scheme is a group of power stations that use the flow of rivers to make electricity. It's located on the Rubicon and Royston Rivers, about 40 kilometers southwest of Alexandra, Victoria, Australia.
This scheme started in 1922. It was the very first time a state government in mainland Australia owned and operated a power system that used water to create electricity. It was also one of the first in the world that could be controlled from far away! For its first ten years, it provided about 17% of Victoria's electricity. Today, a company called AGL Energy owns and runs it, and it still helps power Victoria.
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History of the Rubicon Scheme
In the 1920s, the State Electricity Commission of Victoria (SEC) looked into making electricity from water power, also known as hydroelectric power. At the same time, they were also working on power stations that burned brown coal.
In 1922, a plan was presented to the government about building hydroelectric power stations on the Goulburn River and in the Cerberean Range. The government approved the project that would be most affordable.
Building the Power Stations
The first plan for this project was called the Sugarloaf - Rubicon Project. It was supposed to have five power stations. The biggest part of the plan was to use the water from the Sugarloaf storage reservoir, which was being built for irrigation (watering crops). This reservoir is now known as Lake Eildon.
The original plan changed a bit. One power station was removed, and a new one was added at Rubicon Falls. The Sugarloaf Power Station made electricity mainly during the irrigation season (October to April). This was because water released from the dam for irrigation could also be used to make power. The other four power stations worked mostly during the rainy winter and spring seasons.
Work on the scheme began in 1922. By 1928, the power stations in the mountain streams were finished. The Sugarloaf power station on Lake Eildon was completed in 1929. The Rubicon 'A' power station had a long pipeline with a big drop, like a steep slide for water. This station was also special because it could control the other power stations from a distance.
Later, in the 1950s, the Sugarloaf Power Station was replaced by a much larger one called the Eildon Power Station. The old turbines from Sugarloaf were even upgraded and used again in the new station!
How the Rubicon Scheme Works Today
Today, the Rubicon Hydroelectric Scheme uses three small dams that work as "run-of-the-river" systems. This means they use the natural flow of the river, rather than storing huge amounts of water like a big dam. The scheme has four power stations and special channels (called raceways and penstocks) that guide the water. Together, these stations can produce about 13 megawatts of electricity, especially during the winter months when there's more water.
Royston Power Station
Quick facts for kids Royston Power Station |
|
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Victoria |
| Coordinates | 37°22′26″S 145°51′53″E / 37.37389°S 145.86472°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Operator(s) | AGL Energy |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Royston Dam |
| Power station | |
| Installed capacity | 0.8 MW (1,100 hp) |
The Royston Dam is a concrete dam on the Royston River. It sends water into a channel called an aqueduct, which carries the water for 2 kilometers to the Royston Power Station. The power station has a special pipe called a penstock, which is made of wood and steel. The Royston Power Station can produce 0.8 megawatts of power. The water that comes out of this power station then flows into another aqueduct that leads to the Rubicon Power Station.
| Component | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Royston Dam | 37°22′42″S 145°53′9″E / 37.37833°S 145.88583°E | A 48-meter concrete slab and buttress dam |
| Royston aqueduct | 37°22′37″S 145°52′43″E / 37.37694°S 145.87861°E | 2 kilometers long |
| Royston Power Station forebay | 37°22′28″S 145°52′16″E / 37.37444°S 145.87111°E | |
| Royston Power Station penstock | 37°22′29″S 145°52′5″E / 37.37472°S 145.86806°E | 76 cm diameter. 274 meters of wood pipe and 279 meters of steel pipe. |
| Royston Power Station | 37°22′26″S 145°51′53″E / 37.37389°S 145.86472°E | 0.8 MW |
Rubicon Power Station
| Rubicon Power Station | |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Victoria |
| Coordinates | 37°19′38″S 145°51′38″E / 37.32722°S 145.86056°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Operator(s) | AGL Energy |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Rubicon Dam |
| Power station | |
| Installed capacity | 9.2 MW (12,300 hp) |
The Rubicon Dam is a concrete arch dam on the Rubicon River. It sends water into the Rubicon aqueduct for 3.4 kilometers. This aqueduct then collects the water from the Royston Power Station. From there, the water travels another 5.4 kilometers to the Rubicon Power Station. The Rubicon power station has a penstock (a large pipe) with a 443-meter drop over its 1305-meter length. The Rubicon Power Station has two generators, each producing 4.6 megawatts, using special water wheels called Pelton wheels.
| Component | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rubicon Dam | 37°23′29″S 145°51′2″E / 37.39139°S 145.85056°E | A 64-meter concrete arch dam |
| Rubicon aqueduct | 37°22′29″S 145°51′40″E / 37.37472°S 145.86111°E | 3.4 kilometers from Rubicon Dam to Royston Power Station |
| Rubicon aqueduct | 37°20′56″S 145°51′23″E / 37.34889°S 145.85639°E | 5.4 kilometers from Royston Power Station to Rubicon Forebay |
| Rubicon Power Station forebay | 37°20′16″S 145°51′22″E / 37.33778°S 145.85611°E | |
| Rubicon Power Station penstock | 37°19′59″S 145°51′23″E / 37.33306°S 145.85639°E | |
| Rubicon Power Station | 37°19′38″S 145°51′38″E / 37.32722°S 145.86056°E | 9.2 MW, 2 turbines |
Lower Rubicon Power Station
| Lower Rubicon Power Station | |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Victoria |
| Coordinates | 37°18′10″S 145°50′45″E / 37.30278°S 145.84583°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Operator(s) | AGL Energy |
| Power station | |
| Installed capacity | 2.7 MW (3,600 hp) |
Water that has passed through the Rubicon Power Station then flows along a 3.2-kilometer aqueduct. After that, it goes through a 320-meter long, 1.3-meter wide pipe (penstock) to the Lower Rubicon Power Station. This station has one generator that produces 2.6 megawatts. The water from this power station then flows back into the Rubicon River.
| Component | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Rubicon aqueduct | 37°18′42″S 145°50′58″E / 37.31167°S 145.84944°E | 3.2 kilometers long |
| Lower Rubicon Power Station forebay | 37°18′20″S 145°50′42″E / 37.30556°S 145.84500°E | |
| Lower Rubicon Power Station penstock | 37°18′17″S 145°50′43″E / 37.30472°S 145.84528°E | 318 meters of 1.3-meter diameter steel pipe |
| Lower Rubicon Power Station | 37°18′10″S 145°50′45″E / 37.30278°S 145.84583°E | 2.7 MW, 1 turbine |
Rubicon Falls Power Station
| Rubicon Falls Power Station | |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Victoria |
| Coordinates | 37°20′24″S 145°50′52″E / 37.34000°S 145.84778°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Operator(s) | AGL Energy |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Rubicon Falls Dam |
| Power station | |
| Installed capacity | 0.3 MW (400 hp) |
The Rubicon Falls Dam is on the Rubicon River, just below the main Rubicon Dam. It redirects water around the Rubicon Falls. This water then flows into the Rubicon Falls Power Station through a 420-meter long pipe called a penstock. This power station has one generator that produces 0.3 megawatts, also using a Pelton wheel.
| Component | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rubicon Falls Dam | 37°20′35″S 145°51′0″E / 37.34306°S 145.85000°E | A 32-meter concrete slab and buttress dam |
| Rubicon Falls Power Station penstock | 37°20′30″S 145°50′57″E / 37.34167°S 145.84917°E | 427 meters of reinforced-concrete and steel pipe |
| Rubicon Falls Power Station | 37°20′24″S 145°50′52″E / 37.34000°S 145.84778°E | 0.3 MW, 1 turbine |
Tramway for Construction
A narrow railway, called a tramway, was built to help with the construction of the Rubicon Power Station and Rubicon Dam. It had wooden bridges over several creeks. This tramway was used until the 1990s. More tramway lines were built for the Royston power station and dam, but these were removed once construction was finished.
Some of the wooden bridges were destroyed in the big bushfires of 1939, known as Black Friday. They were rebuilt, and then replaced again in the 1960s as part of maintenance. The Royston and Lubra Creek bridges were replaced in 1987 and 1991. Sadly, the Beech Creek bridge was destroyed again in February 2009 by the Murrindindi Mill fire, which was part of the Black Saturday bushfires. The Victorian Government later agreed to rebuild this bridge in 2011.
| Component | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 15000 foot trestle bridge | 37°22′15″S 145°51′49″E / 37.37083°S 145.86361°E | 4.6 kilometers along aqueduct |
| Beech Creek trestle bridge | 37°23′14″S 145°51′45″E / 37.38722°S 145.86250°E | Destroyed in 2009 Black Saturday bushfires |
| Lubra Creek trestle bridge | 37°23′22″S 145°51′37″E / 37.38944°S 145.86028°E |
Why the Scheme is Important
The Rubicon Hydroelectric Scheme is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register and the Register of the National Estate. This means it's recognized as a very important historical site. The forest around it is also protected. The scheme is special because it has been used continuously in almost its original form for many years, showing how well it was built and designed.
