BARRON GORGE HYDRO POWER STATION
For more than 60 years Queenslanders have benefited from the clean energy produced by the Barron Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station.
Located in the Barron Gorge National Park, the 66MW power station can provide reliable, renewable energy even when the sun is not shining, and the wind is not blowing.
CleanCo pays its respect to the past, present and emerging elders of the Djabugay people, the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Barron Gorge Hydro operates.
Operations
- Technology: Run-of-river hydro
- Capacity: 66MW
- Commissioned: 1963
The power station uses natural water inflows from the Barron River and if required, more water from Tinaroo Falls Dam to generate electricity.
The water is captured at the Kuranda Weir, where it is diverted underground to the station’s two 33MW generators. When the water passes through these generators, it can generate up to 66MW of clean energy which is enough energy to power the equivalent of approximately 70,000 Queensland homes.
Watch the video below to learn more about the Barron Gorge Hydro Power Station.
Kuranda Weir Recovery Project
When Tropical Cyclone Jasper crossed the Queensland Coast in December 2023, the weather system saw extremely high water levels in the Barron River which caused significant damage to critical infrastructure at the Kuranda Weir. Works are now underway to repair the weir and make sure it can continue to support operations at the Barron Gorge Hydro for many years to come.
History
The Barron Gorge Hydro that operates today is the second of its kind. The original Barron Gorge Hydro opened in 1932 and had a capacity of 3.8MW. As the region’s energy demands grew, it became clear a new power station with greater capacity was needed. The new Barron Gorge Hydro was commissioned in 1963 and has played an important role in providing reliable clean energy for Queensland ever since.
