Waddamana Power Stations facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Waddamana Power Stations |
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Excavating the Tailrace Tunnel under Waddamana Power Station, 1912
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Waddamana Hydro-Electric power station was the very first power plant of its kind in Tasmania. It used the power of water to make electricity! This amazing plant, first called the Great Lake Scheme, started working in 1916. It was run by the Tasmanian Hydro-Electric Department, which is now known as Hydro Tasmania.
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Building Tasmania's First Water Power Plant
Back in 1909, a private company called HEPMCo became very interested in making electricity from Tasmania's fast-flowing rivers. They wanted this power for a new way to refine zinc and to make a material called "carbide" near a town called Snug.
The company decided to build a power plant in the valley of the Ouse River. Water for the plant would come from a small dam on the Great Lake at Miena. This water would then rush down a steep slope through pipes and channels to spin the power-making machines. Building work started in 1910.
However, HEPMCo ran out of money before they could finish the project. In 1914, they sold the unfinished power plant to the new Hydro-Electric Department. This department completed the work in 1915, and the Waddamana plant officially opened in 1916. It was the very first power plant they ever operated!
When it first opened, the plant could make 7 megawatts of power. It used two large turbines to do this. A third turbine was added in 1919 to make even more electricity. By 1922, six more powerful turbines were installed to meet the growing demand for electricity.
Waddamana B: A New Power Station
In 1931, the Hydro-Electric Commission planned to build a brand new power station to replace the original Waddamana plant, which was then called Waddamana A. But they didn't have enough money to build a completely new one. So, they decided to build a second power station right next to the first one.
Construction for this new plant, called Waddamana B, took place between 1939 and 1949. For many years, until 1965, both Waddamana A and Waddamana B were working side-by-side. Waddamana B was much more powerful, generating 48 megawatts of electricity from its four turbines.
How the Plants Worked and When They Closed
Both Waddamana power plants kept working through the 1940s and 1950s. But in the early 1960s, a much bigger power plant was being built at Poatina. This new plant was designed to take over from both Waddamana plants and a smaller one nearby called Shannon.
The Poatina power plant opened in 1964. It could make 325 megawatts of power, which was more than three times what the Waddamana and Shannon plants made together! To make Poatina work best, the water flow to Waddamana A and Shannon had to be stopped.
Shannon power plant closed in 1964 and was later taken down. Waddamana A closed in 1965, but its buildings remained. Waddamana B continued to operate until 1995, when it also closed down.
Today, Waddamana A has a new life as a museum. You can see the original machines and other interesting displays there, including the control room equipment from the old Shannon Power Station.
A Special Award for Engineering
The Waddamana 'A' power station has been recognized as a National Engineering Landmark. This award comes from Engineers Australia and is part of their program to celebrate important engineering achievements.
