# Meadowbank Dam

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Dam and hydroelectic power station in Tasmania, Australia

Dam in Central Highlands, Tasmania

Meadowbank Dam The power station in 2010 Interactive map of Meadowbank Dam Country Australia Location Central Highlands, Tasmania Coordinates 42°36′40″S 146°50′42″E / 42.611175°S 146.844968°E / -42.611175; 146.844968 Purpose Power Status Operational Opening date 1966 (1966) Owner Hydro Tasmania Dam and spillways Type of dam Buttress Embankment Impounds River Derwent Height 43 m (141 ft) Length 265 m (869 ft) Dam volume 86×10^3 m3 (3.0×10^6 cu ft) Spillways 1 Spillway type Controlled Spillway capacity 5,239 m3/s (185,000 cu ft/s) Reservoir Creates Meadowbank Lake Total capacity 60,000 ML (49,000 acre⋅ft) Active capacity 59,650 ML (48,360 acre⋅ft) Catchment area 6,561 km2 (2,533 sq mi) Surface area 600 ha (1,500 acres) Normal elevation 59 m (194 ft) AHD Meadowbank Power Station Coordinates 42°36′36″S 146°50′24″E / 42.61000°S 146.84000°E / -42.61000; 146.84000 Operator Hydro Tasmania Commission date 1967 (1967) Type Run-of-the-river Hydraulic head 26 m (85 ft) Turbines 1 x 41.8 MW (56,100 hp) Andritz Kaplan-type Installed capacity 43.8 MW (58,700 hp) Capacity factor 0.51 Annual generation 187 GWh (670 TJ) Website hydro.com.au

The **Meadowbank Dam** is a [buttress dam](/source/Buttress_dam), with a concrete-faced [embankment](/source/Embankment_dam), across the [Lower River Derwent](/source/Derwent_River_(Tasmania)), located in the [Central Highlands](/source/Central_Highlands_(Tasmania)) region of [Tasmania](/source/Tasmania), Australia. Completed in 1966 and owned and operated by [Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania), the resultant [reservoir](/source/Reservoir) was established for the purpose of generation of [hydroelectricity](/source/Hydroelectricity) via the **Meadowbank Power Station**, a [run-of-the-river](/source/Run-of-the-river_hydroelectricity) hydroelectric [power station](/source/Power_station).

## Dam overview

Completed by the [Hydro Electric Corporation (TAS)](/source/Hydro_Tasmania) in 1966, the buttress dam wall is 43 metres (141 ft) high and 262 metres (860 ft) long; and on its right hand side, the structure has a concrete-faced embankment, both built on a rock foundation. When full, the reservoir has capacity of 60,000 [megalitres](/source/Megalitre) (49,000 [acre⋅ft](/source/Acre-foot)) and covers 600 hectares (1,500 acres), drawn from a [catchment area](/source/Drainage_basin) of 6,561 square kilometres (2,533 sq mi). The [controlled spillway](/source/Spillway#Types) has a flow capacity of 5,239 cubic metres per second (185,000 cu ft/s).[1]

## Hydroelectric power station

Part of the Derwent scheme that comprises eleven hydroelectric power stations, the Meadowbank Power Station is the final power station in the scheme. The aboveground power station is located near the dam wall. The facilities at the Meadowbank Power Station are simple and include the dam, intake structure with intake gate designed to cut off full flow, a short [penstock](/source/Penstock) which is integral with the dam, the power station building, generator equipment and associated facilities.[2][3]

The power station was commissioned in 1967 by the [Hydro Electric Corporation (TAS)](/source/Hydro_Tasmania) with a single Boving [Kaplan-type](/source/Kaplan_turbine) [turbine](/source/Water_turbine) with a generating capacity of 41.8 megawatts (56,100 hp) of electricity.[4] In 2015, the turbine was upgraded to a single Andritz [Kaplan-type](/source/Kaplan_turbine) [turbine](/source/Water_turbine) with a generating capacity of 43.8 megawatts (58,700 hp) of electricity.[2] Within the station building, the turbine has a five-bladed runner and concrete spiral casing. Pre-stressed cables passing through the stay vanes anchor the spiral casing and form part of the station foundation. No inlet valve is installed in the station. The station output, estimated to be 187 [gigawatt-hours](/source/Kilowatt-hour) (670 [TJ](/source/Terajoule)) annually, is fed to [TasNetworks](/source/TasNetworks)' transmission grid via parallel 11 k[V](/source/Voltage)/220 kV [Siemens](/source/Siemens) generator transformers to the outdoor switchyard.[2]

Water discharged from the Meadowbank Power Station flows into the River Derwent.[3]

## 2016 energy crisis

In 2016, the power station was the location of diesel generators required to supplement the power into the Tasmanian grid due to the [2016 Tasmanian energy crisis](/source/2016_Tasmanian_energy_crisis) and the failure of the [Basslink](/source/Basslink) cable.[5]

## See also

- [Australia portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Australia)
- [Water portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Water)
- [Renewable energy portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Renewable_energy)

- [List of power stations in Tasmania](/source/List_of_power_stations_in_Tasmania)

- [List of reservoirs and dams in Tasmania](/source/List_of_reservoirs_and_dams_in_Australia#Tasmania)

- [List of run-of-the-river hydroelectric power stations](/source/List_of_run-of-the-river_hydroelectric_power_stations)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ANCOLD_1-0)** ["Register of Large Dams Australia-2015"](https://ancold.org.au/information-resources/dams-information/) ([Excel](/source/Microsoft_Excel). Requires download. Row 338). *[ANCOLD](/source/ANCOLD)*. January 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2026.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-STATS_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-STATS_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-STATS_2-2) ["Meadowbank Power Station: Derwent Catchment"](https://www.hydro.com.au/docs/default-source/clean-energy/our-power-stations/power-station-fact-sheets/meadowbank-power-station-fact-sheet.pdf?sfvrsn=9acc9b28_2) (PDF). *Energy: Our power stations*. [Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230623025433/https://www.hydro.com.au/docs/default-source/clean-energy/our-power-stations/power-station-fact-sheets/meadowbank-power-station-fact-sheet.pdf?sfvrsn=9acc9b28_2) (PDF) from the original on 23 June 2023. Retrieved 23 June 2023.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-hydro_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-hydro_3-1) ["Derwent: Meadowbank Power Station"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150707055215/http://www.hydro.com.au/energy/our-power-stations/derwent-0/meadowbank-power-station). *Energy*. [Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania). Archived from [the original](http://www.hydro.com.au/energy/our-power-stations/derwent-0/meadowbank-power-station) on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Meadowbank Power Station: Technical fact sheet"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150924033253/http://www.hydro.com.au/system/files/attachments/Meadowbank_Power_Station-Fact-Sheets.pdf) (PDF). *Energy: Our power stations*. [Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania). Archived from [the original](http://www.hydro.com.au/system/files/attachments/Meadowbank_Power_Station-Fact-Sheets.pdf) (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 23 June 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["More diesel generators fired up to boost energy to Tasmania's power grid"](http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-31/temporary-diesel-generators-unveilled-meadowbank-power-station/7287076). *ABC News*. 31 March 2016.

## External links

- [Hydro Tasmania](/source/Hydro_Tasmania) page on [the Lower Derwent](https://web.archive.org/web/20060919104726/http://www.hydro.com.au/home/Energy/Tasmanian+Hydro+Electric+Schemes/Catchment+Areas/Derwent+Catchment/The+Lower+Derwent.htm)

v t e Hydroelectric dams on the River Derwent Clark Wayatinah Catagunya Repulse Cluny Meadowbank

v t e Dams and reservoirs in Tasmania, Australia Central Highlands Arthurs Lake Catagunya Clark Cluny Lake Binney Lake Echo Liapootah Meadowbank Miena Pine Tier Repulse Wayatinah King Island Upper Grassy North East Briseis Cascade Clarence Curries River Duck Reach Weir Frome Monarch Mount Paris North West Guide River Henty Pet River White Spur Northern Augusta Cethana Devils Gate Ford Mackenzie Meander Paloona Parangana Rowallan Taylor No. 3 Trevally Wilmot South Craigbourne Flagstaff Gully Hall No. 2 Knights Creek Limekiln Gully Lower Reservoir Ridgeway Rileys Creek Risdon Brook Stanton South West Edgar Gordon Laughing Jack Scotts Peak Serpentine Western Anthony and levee Bastyan and levee Crotty Darwin Mackintosh Tullabardine Margaret Murchison Newton Reece Decommissioned Tolosa Park Category | List

v t e Energy in Tasmania Hydroelectric Derwent Butlers Gorge Catagunya Cluny Lake Echo Liapootah Meadowbank Nieterana Repulse Tarraleah Tungatinah Wayatinah Gordon-Pedder Gordon Franklin Dam controversy Mersey-Forth Cethana Devils Gate Fisher Lemonthyme Paloona Parangana Rowallan Wilmot West Coast King John Butters Lake Margaret Pieman / Anthony Bastyan Mackintosh Reece Tribute Yingina / Great Lake Poatina Tods Corner Trevallyn Others Huntsman Decommissioned Duck Reach Moorina Waddamana Waddamana B Wind farms Granville Harbour Musselroe Woolnorth Cattle Hill Huxley Hill (King Island) Natural gas Tamar Valley Decommissioned Bell Bay Organisations Alinta Aurora Powerco Hydro Tasmania Roaring 40s TasNetworks Former Transend Networks Interconnectors Basslink Planned Marinus Link Other Office of the Tasmanian Economic Regulator 2016 Tasmanian energy crisis List of power stations in Tasmania

v t e Central Highlands region of Tasmania, Australia Settlements Bronte Park Derwent Bridge Gretna Liawenee Miena Tarraleah Governance Lyons (federal) Lyons (state) Western Tiers (state) Central Highlands Council Meander Valley Council Mountains Artillery Knob King Davids Mount Olympus Du Cane Range The Acropolis Castle Crag Geryon Gould Ossa Thetis Cradle Cirque - Bluff Cirque Barn Bluff Cradle Smithies Cathedral Cathedral Great Western Tiers Ironstone Mother Cummings Quamby Bluff Pelion Range Pelion East Pelion West National parks Other conservation areas Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair Mole Creek Karst Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area Walls of Jerusalem Central Plateau Conservation Area Interlaken Lakeside Reserve Rivers Derwent Lake Nive Meander Lakes Arthurs Bronte Great Mackenzie St Clair Dams Arthurs Lake Catagunya Clark Cluny Lake Binney Liapootah Mackenzie Meadowbank Meander Miena Pine Tier Miena Repulse Wayatinah Power stations Butlers Gorge Catagunya Cluny Fisher Lake Echo Liapootah Meadowbank Nieterana Poatina Repulse Tarraleah Tods Corner Tungatinah Wayatinah Decommissioned Waddamana Transport Lake Highway Lyell Highway Marlborough Highway Landmarks El Grande Horseshoe Falls Lady Barron Falls Overland Track Pelion Gap Russell Falls Waterfall Valley Hut other Central Highlands (bioregion) 2016 Tasmanian bushfires

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Meadowbank Dam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meadowbank_Dam) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meadowbank_Dam?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.