Devils Gate Dam
The Devils Gate Dam double arch wall
Devils Gate Power Station is located in Tasmania
Devils Gate Power Station
Location of the Devils Gate Dam in Tasmania
CountryAustralia
LocationNorth-western Tasmania
Coordinates41°21′1″S 146°15′48″E / 41.35028°S 146.26333°E / -41.35028; 146.26333
PurposePower
StatusOperational
Opening date1969 (1969)
Owner(s)Hydro Tasmania
Dam and spillways
Type of damArch dam
ImpoundsForth River
Height84 metres (276 ft)
Length134 metres (440 ft)
Dam volume31 thousand cubic metres (1.1×10^6 cu ft)
Spillways1
Spillway typeUncontrolled
Spillway capacity2,040 cubic metres per second (72,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
CreatesLake Barrington
Total capacity179,940 megalitres (6,355×10^6 cu ft)
Catchment area742 square kilometres (286 sq mi)
Surface area66.5 hectares (164 acres)
Devils Gate Power Station
Operator(s)Hydro Tasmania
Commission date1969 (1969)
TypeConventional
Hydraulic head68 metres (223 ft)
Turbines1 x 63 MW (84,000 hp)
Boving Francis turbine
Installed capacity63 megawatts (84,000 hp)
Capacity factor0.8
Annual generation314 gigawatt-hours (1,130 TJ)
Website
hydro.com.au/clean-energy/our-power-stations/mersey-forth
[1]

The Devils Gate Power Station is a conventional hydroelectric power station located in north-western Tasmania, Australia. The dam is 84 metres (276 ft) high. It is one of the thinnest concrete arch dams in the world.[2]

Technical details

Part of the Mersey–Forth scheme that comprises seven hydroelectric power stations, the Devils Gate Power Station is the sixth station in the run-of-river scheme. The power station is located below the double-arched concrete Devils Gate Dam which forms Lake Barrington. Water from the lake is fed to the power station by a 150-metre (490 ft) single penstock tunnel.[3][4]

The power station was commissioned in 1969 by the Hydro Electric Corporation and has one Boving Francis turbine, with a generating capacity of 63 megawatts (84,000 hp) of electricity. The station output, estimated to be 314 gigawatt-hours (1,130 TJ) annually,[1] is fed to TasNetworks' transmission grid via an 11 kV/110 kV Siemens generator transformer to the outdoor switchyard.[5]

Recreation

Lake Barrington is a world-famous rowing venue that hosted the 1990 World Rowing Championships.

Engineering heritage

The dam received a Historic Engineering Marker from Engineers Australia as part of its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Register of Large Dams in Australia". Dams information. Australian National Committee on Large Dams. 2010. Archived from the original (Excel (requires download)) on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Devils Gate Dam, Forth River, 1969-". Engineers Australia. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Mersey - Forth". Energy. Hydro Tasmania. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Devils Gate Dam". Engineers Australia.
  5. ^ "Devils Gate Power Station: Mersey-Forth Catchment" (PDF). Hydro Tasmania. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
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