Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station
| Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station | |
|---|---|
 Location of Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station in Queensland
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| Country | Australia |
| Location | Cairns, Queensland |
| Coordinates | 16°51′04″S 145°38′48″E / 16.85111°S 145.64667°ECoordinates: 16°51′04″S 145°38′48″E / 16.85111°S 145.64667°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | 1963 |
| Owner(s) | Stanwell Corporation |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 2 |
| Nameplate capacity | 66 MW (89,000 hp) |
| Annual output | 264.2 GWh (2008/09) |
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Website http://www.stanwell.com/energy-assets/our-power-stations/hydro/ |
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The Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station (or Barron Gorge Hydro) in Queensland, Australia is an electricity power station commissioned in 1963 with a maximum capacity of 66 megawatts (89,000 hp). It is located in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area 20 kilometres (12 mi) north-west of Cairns. It replaced an earlier station which was the first underground power station in the country and the first hydroelectric station in Queensland. The power station was refurbished in 2006.
The conceptualisation for construction of a hydroelectric power station on the Barron River was first suggested in 1906. It was nearly 30 years before completion was realised. The 3.8 MW plant was the first underground power station in Australia and supplied the Cairns area with electricity for 28 years. The site presented many challenges including precipitous cliffs, torrential rain, and raging floods.
During the initial construction phase the delivery of equipment was complex. It first came by train to a rail siding, was transferred over the falls and then lowered by tramway to the work site below. Hauling equipment from Cairns was relatively easy. There was no road in the early 1930s but there was the railway on the opposite bank. Getting across the gorge was another matter. A flying fox was constructed to solve that problem. A weir was built in 1935, to even out seasonal variations in flow.
A fragile bridge was also constructed across the top of the Barron Falls, however this failed to withstand the floods. Plans to build an outdoor station were abandoned as earthworks proved too unstable. Going underground proved relatively easy following construction of the tramway down the near vertical cliff-face.
In November 1935, the Governor of Queensland, Sir Leslie Orme Wilson, officially opened Barron Gorge, Queensland's first hydroelectric power station. Demand for power soon exceeded supply and in 1940 the two 1,200-kilowatt (1,600 hp) turbo alternators were supplemented by a 1,400-kilowatt (1,900 hp) unit. The original site was largely dismantled and decommissioned in 1959 and the present Barron Falls power station was commissioned in 1963 further down stream. A new, larger power station was needed to supply the rapidly growing demand in north Queensland. Construction of the new power station began on 6 October 1960 and it was expected to cost ₤2,055,000.
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