| Wivenhoe Power Station | |
|---|---|
 Power station at Splityard Creek Dam | |
| Country | Australia |
| Location | Split Yard Creek,Queensland |
| Coordinates | 27°22′20″S152°37′55″E / 27.37222°S 152.63194°E /-27.37222; 152.63194 |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1984 |
| Owner(s) | CleanCo |
| Upper reservoir | |
| Creates | Splityard Creek Dam |
| Total capacity | 28,600-megalitre |
| Lower reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Wivenhoe |
| Power Station | |
| Hydraulic head | 76 m (249 ft)[1] |
| Installed capacity | 570 MW |
TheWivenhoe Power Station is situated between theSplityard Creek Dam andLake Wivenhoe in thelocality ofSplit Yard Creek,Somerset Region,Queensland, Australia. The Splityard Creek Dam is located in hills adjacent toLake Wivenhoe and is about 100 metres (330 ft) above it.[2] The power station is the onlypumped storage hydroelectric plant in Queensland.[3]
TheWivenhoe Dam has been built across theBrisbane River about 80 kilometres (50 mi) by road from the centre ofBrisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland, Australia. The body of water held behind the dam is calledLake Wivenhoe.
Thepumped storage hydroelectricity power station consists of two circular concrete silos, each of about 32 metres (105 ft) internal diameter.[2] Each of the silos houses a 285 megawatts (382,000 hp) turbine generator spinning at 120 rpm and pump set, giving a total capacity of 570 megawatts (760,000 hp).[4]
During the pumping phase in the operating cycle the generator operates as a 240 megawatts (320,000 hp) electric motor driving the pump to lift water from Lake Wivenhoe to the upper storage of the 28,600-megalitre[1] Splityard Creek Dam.[2] Whenpeak demand for electricity occurs the flow of water is reversed, flowing from the upper to the lower storage and driving the turbine generator to generate electricity.[2]
The Splityard Creek Dam has sufficient capacity for 10 hours of continuous power generation. It takes about 14 hours of pumping to refill it. Wivenhoe is used in 20% of peak hours, reducing peak price obtained by other power plants.[5] It earned almost $35 million when theCallide Power Station failed in 2021.[6] The power station is owned and operated byCleanCo Queensland aQueensland Government owned corporation.[7][8] Twin 275KV transmission lines connect the power station to Queensland's grid system.
A secondhydro-electric power station known asWivenhoe Small Hydro powered by water discharging from theWivenhoe Dam into theBrisbane River commenced operation in March 2003. It has a much lower power output of 4.5 MW. In 2021, a major overhaul project was planned to preserve the reliability of the plant, and to create 100 new jobs in accordance to Australia's recovery plan from theCOVID-19 pandemic.[9][10]
In 2021, a major overhaul of the station was undertaken. It included the repair and refurbishment of one of the turbines, corrosion protection painting of machinery and pipes, and repairs to a transformer.[11]
