The main river systems comprising a series of dams and powerhouses are situated on the following rivers: :The
Waikato River :The
Waitaki River :The
Clutha River Other schemes are standalone developments associated with specific sites.
Tongariro Power Scheme The
Tongariro Power Scheme (1,400 GWh) diverts water from the south side of
Mount Ruapehu and the west and north sides of
Tongariro into
Lake Taupō, and thus eventually into the Waikato River. •
Rangipo (cavern) (120 MW) •
Tokaanu (240 MW) •
Moawhango Dam The Waikato The hydro stations, starting from
Lake Taupō, are (capacity in MW and nominal annual energy output in GWh): •
Aratiatia (84 MW) (331 GWh) •
Ohakuri (112 MW) (400 GWh) •
Atiamuri (84 MW) (305 GWh) •
Whakamaru (100 MW) (486 GWh) •
Maraetai (360 MW) (855 GWh) •
Waipapa (51 MW) (330 GWh) •
Arapuni (171 MW) (805 GWh) •
Karapiro (90 MW) (490 GWh)
The Waitaki The river was developed in multiple stages. The
Waitaki Dam was built first, without earthmoving machinery, followed by the development of the
Aviemore Dam on
Lake Aviemore and
Benmore Dam on
Lake Benmore.
Lake Pukaki was initially dammed at this stage to provide storage and flow control. A small station was also installed on
Lake Tekapo, but although it has a small dam to raise the pre-existing lake, water was taken through a tunnel to a powerstation below the level of the lake. In the 1960s, work was started on the Upper Waitaki project. This project consisted of taking the discharge from the original Tekapo (A) station through a
power canal, the
Tekapo Canal, to Tekapo B station at the edge of Lake Pukaki. The dam at Pukaki was increased in height. Water from Pukaki is then transferred into the
Pukaki Canal which meets the
Ōhau Canal from
Lake Ōhau into Ōhau A station and
Lake Ruataniwha. The Ōhau Canal continues beyond Lake Ruataniwha to Ōhau B midway along, before emptying through Ōhau C into Lake Benmore. The stations are (capacity) (annual output) (commissioned) •
Tekapo A (25 MW) (160 GWh) 1955 • Tekapo B (160 MW) (800 GWh) 1977 •
Ōhau A (264 MW) (1150 GWh) 1980 •
Ōhau B (212 MW) (970 GWh) 1984/1985 •
Ōhau C (212 MW) (970 GWh) 1984/1985 The original Waitaki power stations discharge water back into the Waitaki River which then forms a storage lake for the next station in the chain. The three power stations are: •
Benmore (540 MW) (2,200 GWh) 1965 •
Aviemore (220 MW) (940 GWh) 1968 •
Waitaki (105 MW) (500 GWh) 1935
Project Aqua was a proposed scheme of six dams on a man made canal running from the Waitaki Dam to the sea. It was cancelled by
Meridian Energy on 29 March 2004.
Clutha River •
Clyde Dam (445 MW) •
Roxburgh Dam (320 MW)
Standalone hydroelectric schemes •
Manapouri (850 MW) (4,800 GWh) :Manapouri does not rely on a high dam to provide water – it takes advantage of the natural 178-metre height difference between
Lake Manapouri and the sea at
Deep Cove in
Doubtful Sound, in
Fiordland. The power house is in a cavern, while two tailrace tunnels take the water from the power house to Deep Cove and the sea. The Manapouri Control Structure (Mararoa dam) downstream from the original outlet of Lake Manapouri controls the lake level, and feeds water from the Mararoa river back up the river into the Lake.
Other schemes North Island • Kaimai Scheme – Kaimai (0.4 MW), Lloyd Mandeno (15.6 MW), Lower Mangapapa (6.25 MW), Ruahihi (20 MW) – Scheme: (165 GWh) •
Aniwhenua Dam (25 MW) (127 GWh) – Bay of Plenty (Upriver from Matahina dam) • Matahina Dam (36 MW) (300 GWh) – on the Rangitaiki River, Bay of Plenty{{cite news • Lake Waikaremoana Scheme – 3 dams: Kaitawa (36 MW), Tuai (60 MW), and Piripaua (42 MW) • Wheao & Flaxy (26 MW) (115 GWh) • Hinemaiaia – A (2.25 MW), B (1.35 MW), C (2.85 MW) – (30 GWh) – near Taupō •
Motukawa (4.6 MW) (25.8 GWh) – Taranaki •
Mangorei (4.5 MW) (20.9 GWh) – Taranaki •
Patea Dam (31 MW) (115 GWh) (Peak Station) – Taranaki •
Mangahao Dam (30 MW) – Tararuas • Kourarau Scheme (1 MW) – Wairarapa
South Island • Waihopai (2.5 MW) (11.8 GWh) • Branch River – (Wairau & Argyle Stations) (11 MW) (54.3 GWh) – run of river canals •
Cobb Reservoir and
Cobb Power Station (32 MW) – Golden Bay •
Arnold Dam (3 MW) (25 GWh) – West Coast • Dillmans (0.5 MW), Duffers (3.5 MW), Kumara (6.5 MW) – Scheme: (47.9 GWh) •
Kaniere Forks (0.43 MW) (3.75 GWh) & MacKays Creek (1.1 MW) (8 GWh) • Wahapo (3.1 MW) (14.5 GWh) – South Westland •
Lake Coleridge (45 MW) (205 to 300 GWh) – Canterbury – diverted rivers and natural lake •
Highbank (25.2 MW) (115 GWh) – Canterbury – joint power & irrigation • Montalto (1.1 MW – 1.8 MW) (12 GWh) – Canterbury – joint power & irrigation • Opuha Dam (7.5 MW) – Canterbury – joint power & irrigation • Paerau (10 MW, 47.8 GWh) & Patearoa (2.25 MW, 7.5 GWh) –
Taieri River, Otago – joint power & irrigation •
Waipori – 4 dams (12 MW, 57 MW, 7 MW, 8 MW) – Dunedin •
Monowai (6 MW) (34 GWh) •
Roaring Meg – 2 power stations (1.3MW, 3MW) (30 GWh) ==Municipal water supply dams==