As early as 1906 a second higher-level development of the South Esk was proposed. The Launceston City Council decided instead to increase the capacity of Duck Reach. By 1919 it reached a maximum of 2 megawatts but demand for electricity continued to rise and by 1923 the Council were buying power from the then Hydro-Electric Department. The Duck Reach station was rebuilt after the 1929 floods. It was bought by Hydro Tasmania in 1944 and continued operating until after the commissioning of the Trevallyn Power Station in 1955.
 l Trevallyn Power Station |
A concrete gravity dam, designed to cope with floods far in excess of that recorded in 1929, diverts water through a tunnel to the Trevallyn Power Station situated only five kilometres from the centre of Launceston. Water flows out of Trevallyn and into the Tamar at sea level. The four generators have a capacity of 80 megawatts and operate on a 112 metre head (about three times that of Duck Reach). Trevallyn is a true run-of-the-river station having very little storage and making use of daily flows down the South Esk. |