Erne Stations Contents HYDRO STATIONS CLADY CO DONEGAL 4MW Part 1 The core of ESB’s hydro network is based at Electricity for an expanding economy Turlough Hill, Co. Wicklow (292MW), which is the acting control centre for all of our hydro stations: Part 2 How hydro-generation works 9 Part 3 95 ESB and hydro-power generation 1 SHANNON 19 CO CLARE Part 4 29 86MW Technical data and key facts LEE CO CORK 74 27MW 9 1 Turlough Hill CO WICKLOW 1 292MW 9 3 7 7 5 9 1 1 0 9 5 LIFFEY ERNE CO KILDARE CO DONEGAL 38MW 65MW Design: Zahra Media Group Welcome to the Fáilte chuig Erne Stations Stáisiúin na hÉirne ESB was established in 1927 as a corporate body Rinneadh BSL a bhunú mar chomhlacht corpraithe in the Republic of Ireland under the Electricity i bPoblacht na hÉireann sa bhliain 1927 faoin Acht (Supply) Act 1927. As a strong, diversified, Leictreachais (Soláthar) 1927. Mar fhóntas láidir vertically-integrated utility, ESB operates right éagsúlaithe atá comhtháite go hingearach, oibríonn across the electricity market: from generation, BSL i ngach réimse den mhargadh leictreachais: through transmission and distribution to supply. giniúint, tarchur agus dáileadh, agus soláthar. In terms of generation, ESB currently operates I dtéarmaí giniúna, tá 7 stáisiún theirmeacha, 12 fheirm 7 thermal stations, 12 windfarms and 10 hydro ghaoithe agus 10 stáisiún hidrileictreachais á n-oibriú stations in the Republic of Ireland, three of which ag BSL faoi láthair i bPoblacht na hÉireann agus tá trí are based in Co. Donegal: Cliff and Cathaleen’s cinn díobh sin suite i gContae Dhún na nGall: An Bhinn Fall at Ballyshannon, and Clady at Gweedore, Co. agus Eas Chaitlín i mBéal Átha Seanaidh, agus Stáisiún Donegal. na Cláidí i nGaoth Dobhair, Contae Dhún na nGall. The Ballyshannon stations are known collectively Scéim hidrileictreach na hÉirne a thugtar ar stáisiúin as the Erne hydro-electric scheme. It was the Bhéal Átha Seanaidh le chéile. Ba é an tionscadal largest construction project of its time, bringing ba mhó ar tugadh faoi ag an am, agus tháinig fórsa a workforce of approximately 1,500 to the town. saothair thart ar 1,500 chuig an baile dá bharr. Cuireadh Construction began in 1946, with building the tús leis an tógáil i 1946, nuair a tógadh dambaí ag An dams at Cliff and Cathaleen’s Fall, and ended in Bhinn agus ag Eas Chaitlín agus tugadh chun críche é i 1955 with the commissioning of a second turbine 1955 nuair a coimisiúnaíodh an dara tuirbín ag Stáisiún at Cliff Station. na Binne. Clady Station, the third member of the Donegal Tógadh Stáisiún Chláidí, an tríú ball de theaghlach hydro-electric family, was constructed between hidrileictreach Dhún na nGall, idir 1954 agus 1959. 1954 and 1959. The station is located at the Clady Tá an stáisiún suite ar an Chláidigh i nGaoth Dobhair, River in Gweedore, Co. Donegal. Contae Dhún na nGall. Collectively, the three Donegal stations generate a Le chéile, gineann an trí stáisiún i nDún na nGall capacity of almost 70MWs, supplying electricity to beagnach 70MW, agus soláthraíonn leictreachas over 38,000 homes. do bhreis is 38,000 áras cónaithe. esb.ie 1 Erne01 Stations 2 Electricity for an expanding economy Map of the River Erne Catchment. n 1929, Ireland’s first and largest hydro-electric scheme, the Shannon I Scheme, started operating. This was Getting started: Two-phase development very much the start of Ireland’s ‘quiet revolution’ of rural electrification. Phase 1: 1946 – 1952 Phase 2: 1953 – 1955 Construction of dams at Cliff Deepening of the Belleek channel ESB then commissioned a number of and Cathaleen’s Fall Commissioning of 2nd turbine set projects during the late 1940s/early at Cliff Station 1950s to meet the burgeoning national demand for electricity. One of those projects was the River Erne hydro-electric Timescale of the River Erne hydro-electric development: development, commissioned with Started Completed the intention of meeting the surge in 1946 1955 demand, particularly south of the border, while also providing a practical solution The Erne hydro-electric scheme was commissioned in two phases, beginning with to flooding issues across the River Erne construction in 1946 of two separate hydro-powered stations on the stretch of the River at catchment. Ballyshannon and the sea. esb.ie 3 Why were the hydro stations built at Ballyshannon? This is a question often asked about the of 10m of water. Combined, these turbo- dams and the answer lies in the height that sets generate enough power to supply over the water falls from and the rate of its flow. 12,000 homes with electricity. There is also an At Ballyshannon, and along the stretch of additional 300kW generator which provides the river to the sea, the natural fall of water supplementary power for local needs. is 45m, with an average flow of 93 cubic meters per second, which makes the Erne The second dam, Cathaleen’s Fall, was built catchment and Ballyshannon the perfect upriver of Ballyshannon. It is the larger of the location for hydro-electric dams. two Erne stations, with a 30m high dam. This dam has two turbo-alternator sets: Unit 3 was The first dam was built just below the town of commissioned in 1951 and Unit 4 in 1952. Belleek, at a point on the River Erne where it Each unit has an output of 22.5MW under is 65m wide and at a shallow gorge with cliffs a head of 29m of water. Together, these 7.5m high. Two turbo-alternator sets were generate enough hydropower to supply over Construction, Cathaleen’s Fall at night with crane, 1950. commissioned separately at Cliff station: 26,000 homes with electricity. There is also a Unit 1 in 1950 and Unit 2 in 1955. Each 400kW generator which supplies additional set has an output of 10MW under a head power for local needs. Cliff Cathaleen’s Fall (Upper station) (Lower station) 2x turbo alternator sets each 2x turbo alternator sets each 10MV output 10MV output 22.5MV output 22.5MV output 12,000 26,000 HOMES HOMES The two stations have a combined capacity of 65MWs and generate electricity at 10.5 kilovolts. They are connected to step-up transformers (10.5kV/110kV) in an outdoor compound at Cathaleen’s Fall and the electricity produced is fed through these transformers into the national grid. Cliff View, looking upstream to power house mid construction. 4 Erne Stations Digging in Clady An Chláidigh The Erne hydro-scheme Earth excavation: in close contact with the required major drainage 293,000m3 Department of Agriculture In addition to Cliff and Cathaleen’s Fall, I dteannta stáisiúin na Binne agus Eas works within the mid- Concrete: and Rural Development, Clady Station is the third member of the Chaitlín, is é Stáisiún Chláidí an tríú stáisiún catchment area and required 132,000m3 Northern Ireland and the Donegal hydro-electric family, located on hidrileictreach i nDún na nGall, agus tá sé significant cross border Rivers Agency to ensure the Clady River in Gweedore, Co. Donegal. suite ar an Chláidigh i nGaoth Dobhair. Rock excavation: co-operation during its water management is kept The station was constructed between Tógadh an stáisiún idir 1954 agus 1959, 394,000m3 construction. within regulated limits. 1954 and 1959, when it came into full nuair a chuaigh sé i mbun oibre go ❚ The upper and lower Steel reinforcement: operation and was synchronised to the hiomlán agus nuair a sioncronaíodh é loughs channel (17km 2,235 tonnes ESB has a responsibility Donegal 38kV network. Clady is equipped le líonra 38kV Dhún na nGall. Tá tuirbín long) was deepened towards fisheries with a horizontal Francis-type turbine, cothrománach den chineál Francis ag and sluice gates were Regular flooding conservation and maintains coupled to a generator with a capacity of stáisiún Chláidí, agus é ceangailte le constructed at Portora, this commitment on the 4.2MW. gineadóir 4.2MW. near Enniskillen. Before the development River Erne, which is a noted ❚ The Belleek Channel (6km was commissioned, up to freshwater fishery. The For the construction of Clady Station: D’fhonn Stáisiún Chláidí a thógáil: long) was dug out and 24,000 acres of land would development of the salmon ❚ Two lakes, Dunlewey Lough and Lough ❚ Méadaíodh dhá loch, Loch Dhún Lúiche enlarged. This was done be regularly flooded across hatchery at Cathaleen’s Nacung, were enlarged to create suffi- agus Loch na Cuinge, chun dóthain spás in order to improve water the Erne Catchment. With Fall with restocking and cient storage capacity to run the Clady stóráilte a chruthú le stáisiún cumhachta flow, improve drainage the development of the conservation programmes in power station. Water levels at Dunlewey Chláidí a rith. Ardaíodh an leibhéal uisce i on the catchment and Erne Scheme and the follow place has stabilised salmon Lough have been raised by the construc- Loch Dhún Lúiche trí Dhamba na Cuinge mitigate against flooding. up Erne Drainage and numbers. tion of the Cung Dam at the promontory a thógáil ar cheann tíre idir an dá loch. ❚ The whole process Development Act [1950] between the two lakes. ❚ Cuireadh an Chláidigh ar atreo de involved the excavation works, this scale of flooding The hatchery produces ❚ The Clady River has also been partially bheagán go dtí canáil 2.5km ag Cora of 600,000m3 of earth has been mitigated, with ESB juvenile salmon each year diverted by Gweedore Weir into a 2.5km Ghaoth Dobhair. and rock from the river maintaining relationships with which are used to restock canal. bed. A total of 98.8% of statutory agencies in Northern the Erne.