Reece Power Station
The Reece Power Station is a conventional hydroelectric power station located in the West Coast region of Tasmania, Australia.
| Reece Dam | |
|---|---|
  Location of the Reece Dam in Tasmania | |
| Country | Australia |
| Location | West Coast, Tasmania |
| Coordinates | 41°43′12″S 145°07′48″E |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1974 |
| Opening date | 1987 |
| Owner(s) | Hydro Tasmania |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam |
| Impounds | Pieman River |
| Height | 122 metres (400 ft) |
| Length | 374 metres (1,227 ft) |
| Dam volume | 2,742 thousand cubic metres (96.8×106 cu ft) |
| Spillways | 1 |
| Spillway type | Uncontrolled |
| Spillway capacity | 4,742 cubic metres per second (167,500 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Pieman |
| Total capacity | 300,200 megalitres (10,600×106 cu ft) |
| Catchment area | 2,653 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 222 hectares (550 acres) |
| Reece Power Station | |
| Coordinates | 41°43′25″S 145°08′10″E |
| Operator(s) | Hydro Tasmania |
| Commission date | 1987 |
| Type | Conventional |
| Hydraulic head | 92 metres (302 ft) |
| Turbines | 2 x Fuji Francis turbines |
| Installed capacity | 238 megawatts (319,000 hp) |
| Capacity factor | 0.85 |
| Annual generation | 1,025 gigawatt-hours (3,690 TJ) |
| Website hydro | |
| [1] | |
Technical details
Part of the Pieman River scheme that comprises four hydroelectric power stations, the Reece Power Station is the final station in the scheme, before the water runs out to sea. The power station is located aboveground at the foot of the rock-filled concrete faced Reece Dam (also called the Lower Pieman Dam) which forms Lake Pieman. Water from the lake is fed to the power station into two independent 250-metre (820 ft)-long tunnels.[2]
The power station was commissioned in 1986 and 1987 by the Hydro Electric Corporation (TAS) and the station has two Fuji Francis turbines, with a combined generating capacity of 238 megawatts (319,000 hp) of electricity. The station output, estimated to be 1,025 gigawatt-hours (3,690 TJ) annually,[1] is fed to TasNetworks' transmission grid via a 13.8 kV/220 kV Fuji generator transformer to the outdoor switchyard.[3]
Etymology
Both the power station and the dam are named in honour of Eric Reece, the Premier of Tasmania between 1958 and 1969 and again between 1972 and 1975. Reece was a firm proponent of the Hydro-Electric Commission and the development of hydroelectricity in Tasmania.[2]
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.
- "Pieman". Hydro Tasmania. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- "Reece Power Station: Pieman Catchment" (PDF). Hydro Tasmania. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
Further reading
- "Pieman Sustainability Review: Information review of the Anthony-Pieman hydropower scheme" (PDF). Hydro Tasmania. February 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 July 2015.