Lake Margaret Power Station
The Lake Margaret Scheme began operating in 1914 and closed in 2006. It was built by the Mt Lyell Mining and Railway Company to provide electricity for its mines and associated townships (including Queenstown).
The lake is situated high up on Mt Sedgwick. The catchment area is a very small (only 20 square kilometres) but the rainfall is high. A 200 metre long dam raised the level of the original lake some six metres. Water is conveyed via woodstave pipeline and steel penstocks to the power station. It is situated at Lake Margaret and houses seven 1.2 MW generators. Water is discharged into the Yolande River.
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In 1985 Hydro Tasmania bought the Lake Margaret Scheme from the Mt Lyell Mining and Railway Company. Since then, till the closure of the Mt Lyell Mine in late 1994, a leasing agreement allowed the company to continue operating the power station.
Hydro Tasmania closed the power station from 1 July 2006 as a result of a decision to decommission the 68-year old wooden pipeline that takes the water from Lake Margaret to the power station. The operation and maintenance of the pipeline was no longer viable due to its age and condition.
Hydro Tasmania is working with the West Coast community to determine the future of the power station. For more information on the redevelopment click here. |
Lake Margaret Power Station |