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Waitaki Hydro Scheme
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Meridian Energy's Waitaki hydro
scheme produces electricity using water and snow from catchments within the
Southern Alps.
Its eight power stations are in a chain so each volume of water can be used
to produce electricity up to eight times.
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The upper Waitaki |
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The mid Waitaki |
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More than 100 resource consents |
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The upper Waitaki
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In the upper Waitaki
water is passed from storage lakes through canals to each power station.
Power stations
Canals
A major feature of
the upper Waitaki hydro scheme is the canals which help combine the
resources of Lakes Tekapo, Pukaki and Ohau.
These canals have a total length of more than 58 kilometres. Their
construction required the excavation of nearly 45 million cubic meters of
spoil.
The canals allow fishing all year round. The Tekapo canal contains a Sockeye
salmon farm while the Ohau C canal has a Chinook salmon farm. Canal statistics
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Canal |
Length
(kms) |
Width
(metres) |
Depth
(metres) |
Peak
Flow (cumecs*) |
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Tekapo canal |
26.5 |
39.6 |
5.30 |
130 |
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Pukaki canal |
12.0 |
80.4 |
10.10 |
560 |
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Ohau canal |
8.4 |
63.5 |
5.75 |
200 |
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Ohau A canal |
1.0 |
97.0 |
12.00 |
560 |
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Ohau B canal |
2.8 |
97.6 |
10.10 |
560 |
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Ohau C canal |
7.3 |
97.6 |
10.10 |
560 |
*cubic metres per second
The dams
There are two dams
on the upper Waitaki, the Pukaki high dam and the Ruataniwha dam. |
The mid Waitaki
The mid Waitaki power stations discharge
water back into the Waitaki River which then forms a storage lake for the
next station in the chain.
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The three power stations are
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Meridian Energy holds more than 100 resource
consents for the operation of the Waitaki power scheme.
These consents provide for the taking, damming, diversion and discharge of
water throughout the scheme. They are supported by conditions and our
"Operating Rules" which both describe in detail how we operate the power
scheme.
Meridian also holds other consents for ancillary operations supporting the
scheme including erosion protection works, sewerage facilities and
bore-holes near our dams used for surveillance monitoring of dam structures. |
Hydro power station statistics
|
Power
Station |
Nominal
Annual
Generation
(GWh) |
Which
equals enough power to supply |
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Tekapo A |
160 |
Dunedin for 2 1/4
months |
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Tekapo B |
800 |
Dunedin for 11 1/2
months |
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Ohau A |
1,150 |
Dunedin for 16
months |
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Ohau B |
970 |
Dunedin for 14
months |
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Ohau C |
970 |
Dunedin for 14
months |
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Benmore |
2,200 |
Christchurch for
10 months |
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Aviemore |
900 |
Dunedin for 13
months |
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Waitaki |
500 |
Dunedin for 13
months |
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