Discover the Waitaki Hydro Scheme Auckland Activity guide Skiing Fishing Canals Lookout Picnic Water skiing Boating Wellington Lake Christchurch Tekapo Information Power station Camping Bush walks Waitaki Dunedin Lake Tekapo A Tekapo Pukaki There are many places of historical, scenic and Tekapo B recreational interest in the Waitaki Valley Pukaki visitor centre Mount John, an astronomical observatory, is If you would like to find out more about things Lake Twizel Ohau A located on the shores of Lake Tekapo. Lake Pukaki to do in the Waitaki Valley please contact the Ohau Ohau B is renowned for its scenic views of Aoraki – Mount following: Ohau C Benmore visitor centre Cook, and the mountain’s visitor centre is located Kurow Heritage Centre Lake Ruataniwha and power station close to the Pukaki high dam. Lake Ruataniwha Lake Phone 03 436 0950 hosts national rowing competitions every year. Benmore Email [email protected] The Ohau ski area, behind Lake Ohau, is one of the few New Zealand ski fields on the main divide Oamaru i-site information centre of the Southern Alps. The surrounding Mackenzie Phone 03 434 1656 Email [email protected] Omarama Basin was named after sheep rustler James Mackenzie in 1855. The area is sheep farming Twizel information centre country, and in 1895 a third of a million sheep Phone 03 435 3124 perished in a snowstorm. A statue of a sheep Email [email protected] Otematata dog at the Church of the Good Shepherd by Lake Aviemore Tekapo pays tribute to James Mackenzie’s dog. Waitaki The Waitaki hydro scheme consists of eight power stations from Lake Tekapo to Lake Waitaki. All eight are operated from a control centre in Twizel, which ensures that as much electricity as possible is generated The birthplace of the from the water flowing from the Southern Alps out to the sea. It started as early as 1904 when Mr P S Hay, who worked in the government’s Public Works world’s first social security system Department, recognised the electricity generation potential of the Waitaki Valley. However, it was not until the 1920s that it was possible to begin such a large-scale project. At that time, the Waitaki was a ‘make work’ project during the 1930s depression and spawned the trial Lake Coleridge power station could no longer meet the electricity demand of the South Island, scheme of the world’s first social security system. The station is 8 kilometres upstream so further development was considered necessary. from the township of Kurow, where its doctor, D G McMillan, agreed to provide free medical treatment to workers and their families if they paid a small weekly sum into a common fund. Later, Dr McMillan and Kurow’s Presbyterian Minister, Arnold Nordmeyer, became Cabinet Ministers and helped instigate a similar scheme for the whole country. It became official in 1939. Four new power stations The ambitious Upper Waitaki hydro scheme began in 1970 and Tekapo B power station was commissioned in 1977. Work continued for 15 years until 1985 when the last station, Ohau C, was commissioned. During that period, four power stations were constructed, along with two dams and six canals (totalling 56 kilometres). Bailey Bridge Crossing. Meridian – New Zealand’s green electricity leader Hydro scheme towns At Meridian, we take our responsibilities to New Zealand and the environment very seriously. We generate all our electricity using renewable resources and Otematata Twizel work closely with local organisations and the Department of Conservation to Otematata Township was developed in the Twizel Township was built specifically as a preserve the natural environment and protect native plant and animal life. late 1950s to house the workforce needed to residential base for workers on the Upper build the Benmore and Aviemore dams and Waitaki hydro scheme. Its name is taken from power stations. Its population swelled to over the Twizel River that flows nearby. In 1977, 11 We have made a commitment to sustainable We work with organisations like the Energy 4,000 in 1963, but when the Ministry of Works years after it was established, Twizel reached energy. Our electricity is generated using only Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) staff transferred to Twizel in the late 1960s, its maximum population of 6,000, and the renewable resources – water and wind. to bring New Zealanders ways to save energy many of the houses in Otematata were sold as local primary school became the largest in the and we are constantly on the lookout for new We’re wholly owned and operated by the people holiday homes. Now Otematata is a popular country, with 1,000 pupils. Twizel’s population energy-efficient products and processes to help of New Zealand, and we’re committed to meeting holiday destination, with lakes, rivers, camping dwindled to around 1,300 after the bulk of New Zealanders use electricity wisely. Using our the energy needs of this country by increasing grounds and a golf course within easy reach. the Waitaki development was completed in resources wisely and efficiently helps protect our the efficiency of our generation assets and the mid-1980s, and the current focus of the environment and helps ensure we have ongoing investigating other economical methods of new community is tourism. energy supplies for future generations. generation – such as wind. The Māori name ‘Otematata’ means We are proud of our involvement with local place of good flint. communities, through community and sporting activities and the arts, and with non-profit organisations. Condensation Precipitation FACT KEY ENERGY EXPLAINED As the vapour rises, it cools Water falls to the earth in the form One cubic metre of water LAKE Cumec one cubic metre of and changes to droplets. of rain, snow, sleet or hail. passing through the eight power GENERATION water fl owing past a stations of the Waitaki system given point every second. generates 2,500 kWh – about CANAL 30% of an average household’s kW 1,000 watts. AVERAGE ANNUAL annual power needs. * How the Waitaki system works GENERATION MW 1,000 kW. Facts about electricity generation from Mt Cook through the Waitaki System. GWh 1,000 MW passing through a given point Benmore over an hour. Commissioned: 1965 Tekapo A Tekapo canal Lake Ohau Ohau B and C *Annual generation: (Facts are the same for Commissioned: 1951 Length: 25.5 km Storage: 22.02 GWh 2,215 GWh *Annual generation: 160 GWh Lake Pukaki each station) Station generation Commissioned: 1984 - 1985 output: 540 MW Station generation output: 25.5 MW Storage: Ohau A Number of generating units: 1 x 25.5 MW *Annual generation: 958 GWh Number of generating 1679.65 GWh Commissioned: 1979 Net head: 30.5 m Station generation output: units: 6 x 90 MW Evaporation Tekapo B *Annual generation: Turbine type: Kaplan 212 MW Net head: 92 m Water evaporates Commissioned: 1977 1,140 GWh Generator details: 11 kV Number of generating units: Turbine type: Francis from the surface of *Annual generation: 833 GWh Station generation 4 x 55.5 MW Generator details: the ocean. Station generation output: 160 MW output: 264 MW Net head: 47.5 m 6 x 16 kV Number of generating units: 2 x 80 MW Number of generating Turbine type: 4 Francis Net head: 145.7 m units: 4 x 66 MW Lake Tekapo Generator details: 4 x 11 kV Aviemore Turbine type: Francis Net head: 59 m Storage: 782.36 GWh Commissioned: 1968 Generator details: 11 kV Turbine type: Francis Ohau B Ohau C *Annual generation: Pacifi c Pukaki canal Generator details: Ohau C to Benmore 942 GWh Length: 12 km 4 x 13.2 kV Ocean Aoraki Mt Cook Canal length: 0.5 km Station generation Lake Ruataniwha output: 220 MW 3,754 m Waitaki Storage: 0.87 GWh Number of generating Commissioned: 1935 - 1954 units: 4 x 55 MW Lake Benmore *Annual generation: 496 GWh Net head: 37 m Storage: 24.45 GWh Station generation output: 105 MW Turbine type: Francis Number of generating units: Generator details: Tekapo 7 x 15 MW 4 x 11 kV Lake Waitaki Twizel Net head: 21.5 m Storage: 0.54 GWh Turbine type: Francis Generator details: 7 x 11 kV Ohau B canal Otematata Length: 2.4 km Kurow Duntroon Ohau C canal Lake Aviemore Length: 8 km Storage: 2.18 GWh Tekapo A Did you know? The average household consumes around Construction of the Tekapo A power station manufactured by Tampella of Finland, was 10,000 kWh/year (or 10 MWh). Tekapo A Life in Tekapo village started in 1938, and was due to be finished in installed. Its more efficient design and water power station generates an average of Tekapo village, where the workers lived, was very 1943, but work stopped in 1942 as manpower and usage enable it to work at 42,000 horsepower 160 GWh per year – enough energy to power isolated during construction of the power station. materials were concentrated on the war effort. and produce more electricity using less water. the equivalent of 16,000 average households. There were no movie theatres and the nearest Building resumed in 1944 and large camps Tekapo A control gates pub was at Burkes Pass, over 20 kilometres away. housing over 500 people were established. The The control gates, which are located in Tekapo Workers kept themselves busy by organising In the 1970s, a 26-kilometre canal was station was finally commissioned in 1951. It was village, were constructed in the 1940s to regulate parties, card evenings, ice-skating in winter or constructed to take outflows from Tekapo A to the second station to be built as part of the Tekapo water outflows to the Waitaki dam.