Pumped Storage Station of TURLOUGH HILL (ESB)

Technical visit : 24/2/01

The Turlough Hill Scheme is the only one of its kind in Ireland. Civil works started in 1968 by ESB. At that time it was the largest civil engineering operation even undertaken in Ireland. A pumped storage scheme like Turlough Hill enables the ESB to make the most economic and flexible use of its system.

Greater economy of operation is achieved because generating capacity from other stations can be used at periods of low demand to pump water from the lower lake to the upper reservoir where it is ready for use when demand increases. The most modern and efficient stations of the system can be used for this purpose. Greater flexibility is achieved because the generators in a pumped-storage scheme can be synchronised within seconds-providing power quickly to meet peak demand or sudden demand for electricity.

Aerial view of scheme showing the upper reservoir and lower lake (© ESB)

Panoramic view of the upper reservoir (capacity 2.3 million cubic meters of water)

Lower lake.

The generating hall showing the four 73MW pump-turbines (© ESB)

View of the control room (visit of More-Care team 24/2/01)

View of the control room.

The 220kV switchyard

Pressure shaft and tail race tunnel (© ESB)

The reversible pump turbines, operating under a mean geodetic head of 285.75 m are fed through a single pressure shaft and single tail race tunnel both excavated in granite, the 4.8 pressure shaft being steel lined and the 7.2m diameter tail race tunnel being concrete lined.

The main plant scheme (© ESB)

The main plant is housed in an underground power station 82 meters long, 23 meters wide, with a height of 30 meters. The operating floor level is 15 meters below the low water level in the Lower Reservoir.

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Centre d'Energetique-ARMINES: 07-03-2001