Meremere Power Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Meremere Power Station |
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|---|---|
| Country | New Zealand |
| Location | Meremere, Waikato |
| Coordinates | 37°18′51″S 175°4′6″E / 37.31417°S 175.06833°E |
| Status | Decommissioned |
| Commission date | 1958 |
| Decommission date | 1991 |
| Owner(s) | Electricity Corporation of New Zealand |
The Meremere Power Station was a large building that used coal to create electricity. It was built next to the Waikato River in a place called Meremere, which is about 64 kilometers south of Auckland, New Zealand. This power station was very important because it was the first big one in New Zealand to use coal as its main fuel.
It was built after World War II to help provide more electricity. New Zealand, especially Auckland, needed a lot more power as the country grew.
Building the Power Station
The Meremere Power Station started making electricity in 1958. At first, it had six large machines, called "units," that each made 30 megawatts (MW) of power. A megawatt is a huge amount of electricity, enough to power many homes!
When Meremere started working, along with the Atiamuri Dam (another power station further up the Waikato River), it meant that people no longer had to limit how much electricity they used. These limits had been in place since the war. In April 1967, an extra seventh unit was added to the Meremere station, making it even more powerful.
How Meremere Got Its Coal
Power stations like Meremere need a lot of fuel to work. This station used about 800,000 tonnes of coal every year! That's like the weight of 800,000 small cars.
Most of this coal, about two-thirds, came from a nearby coalfield called Maramarua. The coal was moved from the mine to the power station using a special system called an "aerial ropeway." Imagine a giant cable car system, but instead of people, it carried buckets of coal through the air!
The rest of the coal came from other mines. This coal was brought to Meremere by train, using a special railway track that connected to the main North Island Main Trunk railway line.
Closing Down the Station
The Meremere Power Station worked for 33 years, providing electricity to homes and businesses. It made its last bit of power in December 1990.
In March 1991, the power station was officially "decommissioned." This means it was taken out of service and stopped being used to make electricity.
