Catagunya Power Station
| Company type | Hydroelectric power station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy |
| Founded | 1962 |
| Founder | Hydro Electric Corporation (TAS) |
| Headquarters | Central Highlands , Australia |
| Products | Electricity generation |
| Owner | Hydro Tasmania |
| Website | www |
The Catagunya Power Station is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric facility situated within Tasmania's Central Highlands area. It operates on the Lower River Derwent catchment and is under the ownership and management of Hydro Tasmania.
Technical details
As one of eleven hydroelectric plants in the Derwent scheme, Catagunya Power Station ranks seventh overall and is the third facility within the downstream run-of-river segment. Positioned downstream of Lake Catagunya—a modest reservoir created by the Catagunya Dam on the Derwent River—the station receives inflows from the Derwent River through the Liapootah Power Station and spillover from Liapootah Dam into Wayatinah Lagoon. Water is channeled via a 2-kilometer tunnel into two low-pressure woodstave pipelines, each approximately 1.3 kilometers long, before dropping 56 meters through three steel penstocks en route to Wayatinah Power Station. The tunnel’s intake is equipped with two vertical lift gravity-close gates designed to halt full flow, while each penstock includes a hilltop valve for flow isolation.
Commissioned in 1962 by Hydro Electric Corporation (TAS), the power station contains two Boving Francis-type turbines rated at 25 MW each, providing a combined generating capacity of 48 MW. Each turbine features a semi-embedded spiral casing, with water flow regulated by dual radial gates at the entrance to each penstock; no inlet valves are present. The facility produces around 237 GWh annually, supplying electricity to TasNetworks’ transmission system through two ASEA generator transformers that step voltage from 11 kV to 220 kV, connected to an outdoor switchyard.
Engineering heritage
The dam has been recognized with a Historic Engineering Marker awarded by Engineers Australia as part of its Engineering Heritage Recognition Program.
See also
External links
- Hydro Tasmania information on the Lower Derwent