Warragamba hydro electricity plant
The hydro electricity plant or Warragamba Power Station is located at Warragamba Dam on the Warragamba River.
Who owns and operates the hydro electricity plant at Warragamba Dam?
The hydro electricity plant is owned and operated by Eraring Energy, who maintain the electrical and mechanical components of the plant. Eraring Energy also own and operate the Kangaroo Valley and Bendeela power stations, which form part of the Shoalhaven Scheme.
What is the capacity of the hydro electricity plant?
The plant has a 50 mega watt capacity.
When does the hydro electricity plant operate?
When Lake Burragorang rises to a level of minus one metre below full storage level, the plant can commence operation. Water flows from the lake through an intake in the Warragamba Dam wall into the plant.
The amount of electricity the plant can generate varies with the rainfall patterns in the Warragamba area.
What are the benefits of the hydro electricity plant?
Hydro electricity is produced from falling or flowing water and is an efficient source because the kinetic energy of water can be converted to 'green electricity'. This means that electricity is generated, without burning fossil fuels, which creates less greenhouse gas emissions and is friendlier to the environment.
What happens to the electricity generated by the hydro electricity plant?
Electricity generated by the plant is transmitted to the Penrith substation and fed into the power grid.
What happens to the water used to operate the hydro electricity plant?
When operational, the plant releases 5,000 megalitres of water a day into the Warragamba River, which flows into the Nepean River. Once water enters the plant and is released into the river, it cannot be used as part of Sydney’s drinking water supply, so the plant is not operated during drought conditions when measures are in place to conserve water.
