Ardnacrusha power plant

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Ardnacrusha ( irish: Ard na Croise, means "the height or hill of the Cross" ) is an area in County Clare seven kilometers north of Limerick. Well known is the area by the Laufwasserkraftwerk The Shannon Scheme. It is the largest in Ireland.

The power plant was officially opened on 22 July 1929. Instrumental in the construction of the Siemens - Schuckert were involved, also the chief designer Dr. Thomas McLoughlin ( later head of the state electricity company ESB Irish ) was a member of the SSE. The power plant at that time supplied 90 % of the total Irish stream, these days it is still about 2 %.

The power plant is fed by a canal from the River Shannon. The difference in height is 28.5 m and is bypassed for shipping with a two- chamber lock. For migratory fish such as salmon, there is the side of the dam, a fish ladder, elvers are collected in tanks at the foot of the building and transported by truck to the top.

The Shannon Scheme was taken by the American Society of Civil Engineers in the List of International Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks in 2002.

Literature source

  • Jane Cumberlidge: Inland Waterways Ireland. All navigable rivers and canals ( leader for inland waters). Edition Maritim, 2003, ISBN 978-3892254683
  • Hydroelectric power plant in Europe
  • Building in Ireland
  • Historic Civil Engineering Landmark
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