Cethana Power Station
The Cethana Power Station is a conventional hydroelectric power station located in north-western Tasmania, Australia.
| Cethana Dam | |
|---|---|
 Entrance to Cethana Power Station | |
  Location of the Cethana Dam in Tasmania | |
| Country | Australia |
| Location | North-western Tasmania |
| Coordinates | 41°28′47″S 146°8′1″E |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1971 |
| Owner(s) | Hydro Tasmania |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam |
| Impounds | Forth River |
| Height | 113 metres (371 ft) |
| Length | 213 metres (699 ft) |
| Dam volume | 1,407 thousand cubic metres (49.7×106 cu ft) |
| Spillways | 1 |
| Spillway type | Uncontrolled |
| Spillway capacity | 1,980 cubic metres per second (70,000 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Cethana |
| Total capacity | 112,210 megalitres (3,963×106 cu ft) |
| Catchment area | 610 square kilometres (240 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 41.4 hectares (102 acres) |
| Cethana Power Station | |
| Operator(s) | Hydro Tasmania |
| Commission date | 1971 |
| Type | Conventional |
| Hydraulic head | 98 metres (322 ft) |
| Turbines | 1 x 100 MW (130,000 hp) Fuji Francis turbine |
| Installed capacity | 100 megawatts (130,000 hp) |
| Capacity factor | 0.85 |
| Annual generation | 434 gigawatt-hours (1,560 TJ) |
| Website hydro | |
| [1] | |
Technical details
Part of the Mersey–Forth scheme that comprises seven hydroelectric power stations, the Cethana Power Station is the fifth station in the scheme. The power station is located underground and is supplied with water from Lake Cethana, the Wilmot Power Station located below Lake Gairdner, and uncontrolled flow from the Forth River. Water from the station is returned to the Forth River through a tailrace tunnel which has a tailrace gate structure at the outlet portal.[2]
The power station was commissioned in 1971 by the Hydro Electric Corporation (TAS) and the station has one Fuji Francis turbine, with a generating capacity of 100 megawatts (130,000 hp) of electricity. The station output, estimated to be 434 gigawatt-hours (1,560 TJ) annually,[1] is fed to the outdoor switchyard via a three single-phase 13.8 kV/220 kV Fuji generator transformer.[3]
Engineering heritage
Cethana Dam is listed as a National Engineering Landmark by Engineers Australia as part of its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.[4]
References
- "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.
- "Mersey - Forth". Energy. Hydro Tasmania. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
- "Cethana Power Station: Technical fact sheet" (PDF). Mersey-Forth Catchment. Hydro Tasmania. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- "Cethana Dam, Forth River, 1971-". Engineers Australia. Retrieved 27 April 2020.