Hydroelectricity
As the East Kimberley region grew, so did the demand for electricity.
In 1996, Ord Hydro Pty Ltd constructed a 30 megawatt hydro-power station providing a clean and renewable energy source. The station is located at the base of the Ord River Dam.
The power station was designed to utilise four turbines and two 15 megawatt generators to produce more that 220 gigawatt hours of electricity per annum.
Ord Hydro now supplies a great source of renewable energy to the Argyle Village, Wyndham, Kununurra and the Argyle Diamond mine.
The installation of this power station has reduced the consumption of diesel fuel in the East Kimberley by about 60 million litres per year.
TECHNICAL
Opened in 1996
- Type
- Two 15MW horizontal shaft generators each driven by two 7.5MW Francis Turbines.
- Concrete works
- 3,100 cubic metres
- Station capacity
- 30MW. Nominal
- Annual energy output
- 220GWh
- Generator voltage
- 11kV
- Turbine speed
- 375rpm
- Water input
- 60,000 litres per second
(enough to fill an average suburban swimming pool every second)
POWER TRANSMISSION LINES
- From Hydro Power Station to Argyle Diamond Mine
- 91kms
- From Hydro Power Station to Kununurra
- 45kms
- Total length
- 138kms
- Voltage
- 132kV
