Rheidol power station is a 56 MW

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

scheme near

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth (; ) is a University town, university and seaside town and a community (Wales), community in Ceredigion, Wales. It is the largest town in Ceredigion and from Aberaeron, the county's other administrative centre. In 2021, the popula ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. It was built between 1957 and 1962 and was officially opened on 3 July 1964. It has been operated by

Statkraft Statkraft AS is a hydropower Hydropower (from Ancient Greek -, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to Electricity generation, produce electricity or to power machines. This is ac ...

since 2009 after it was transferred from E.ON UK as part of a swap for shares. In 1964/65 Rheidol Power Station was awarded the Christopher Hinton trophy in recognition of good

housekeeping Housekeeping is the management and routine support activities of running and maintaining an organized physical institution occupied or used by people, like a house, ship, hospital or factory, such as cleaning, tidying/organizing, cooking, shopp ...

. The power plant is the largest of its kind in

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

and

. It was constructed under the terms of the North Wales Hydro-Electric Power Act 1955. The plant has generated renewable energy by using rainwater that falls on the surrounding mountains since 1962. The plant covers a total area of and is made up of an interconnected group of reservoirs, dams, pipelines, aqueducts, and power stations. The upper reaches of the scheme are over above sea level in the

Plynlimon Plynlimon, or Pumlumon in Welsh language, Welsh (also historically anglicised as Plinlimon, Plynlymmon or Plinlimmon), is the highest point of the Cambrian Mountains in Wales (taking a restricted definition of the Cambrian Mountains, ex ...

mountains. A series of aqueducts collects the water and channels it into the Nant-y-Moch reservoir. Water flows from this reservoir to a power station at Dinas where it drives a 13MW generator. From the power station, the water flows into Dinas reservoir. Dinas reservoir supplies water to the largest power station at Cwm Rheidol where there are two 20.5MW generators. At Cwm Rheidol a further reservoir has been created to avoid large variations in the flow of water. This reservoir collects water that flows through the power station and releases it slowly through a 1MW generator.

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* * * * Hydroelectric power stations in Wales Buildings and structures in Ceredigion {{UK-powerstation-stub