Rowallan Power Station


The Rowallan Power Station is a conventional hydroelectric power station located in north-western Tasmania, Australia. The station is located south of Liena.

Technical details

Part of the MerseyForth scheme that comprises eight hydroelectric power stations, the Rowallan Power Station is the first station in the scheme. The power station is located approximately 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 and the station has one Maier Francis turbine, with a generating capacity of of electricity. The station output, estimated to be 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 long and in area, is 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.