Tasmania’s Rowallan Power Station is back online after a $30 million refurbishment, extending its operational life by more than three decades with improved efficiency, reliability, and flexibility.
The power station, part of Tasmania’s Mersey-Forth hydropower scheme, is located in Northern Tasmania, generating approximately 45 gigawatt-hours (160 TJ) annually and feeding into the TasNetworks transmission grid.
According to Hydro Tasmania, this upgrade has also installed new online monitoring systems to minimise breakdowns and state-of-the-art controls.
Hydro Tasmania’s Acting CEO Erin van Maanen described the station as a small but mighty component of the state’s hydropower network.
“Commissioned in 1968, Rowallan Power Station is the first of eight power stations in the Mersey-Forth Scheme, which generates up to 290MW,” she said.
“Water flows from Lake Rowallan through the Scheme, generating electricity multiple times from the same water. Every drop counts and contributes to Tasmania’s enviable renewable energy capacity.”
The two-year refurbishment was overseen by Hydro Tasmania Site Manager Scott Tatsi and involved around 100 Hydro Tasmania employees working alongside 60 specialist contractors.
“We completely stripped down the machine and upgraded pretty much every component, including the spiral case, physical controls and electrical control panels. Some were original parts from the 1960s,” Tatsi said.
“It’s very specialist work, so to have our apprentices working and learning alongside experienced professionals was a great collaboration. It was a very proud moment to see the station back up and running again, better than ever.”
The project included specialised turbine equipment sourced from Europe, Turkey, and Romania, while Hydro Tasmania’s Cambridge Workshop played a key role in manufacturing, refurbishment, and testing.
Van Maanen said the works reflect Hydro Tasmania’s commitment to maintaining and modernising its infrastructure.
“We’re making sure our hydropower network is fit to continue providing clean energy for future generations,” she said.
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