Wairere Power Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wairere Power Station |
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 Location of Wairere Power Station in New Zealand
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Location | Aria Road, Piopio, Waikato |
| Coordinates | 38°31′54″S 175°00′30″E / 38.53167°S 175.00833°E |
| Purpose | Power |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1924 |
| Opening date | 1926 |
| Owner(s) | Wairere Electric Power Board (1924-1978) Waitomo Electric Power Board (1978-1992) Waitomo Energy Services (1993-1999) King Country Energy (1999-present day) |
| Operator(s) | Trustpower |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Earth |
| Impounds | Mokau River |
| Height (thalweg) | 3.5 m |
| Reservoir | |
| Surface area | 2 ha |
| Power station | |
| Operator(s) | Trustpower |
| Commission date | December 1925 |
| Type | Conventional |
| Hydraulic head | 19.6 m |
| Turbines | Two |
| Installed capacity | 4.6 MW (6,200 hp) |
| Annual generation | 17 GWh (61 TJ) |
| Website King Country Energy |
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The Wairere Power Station is a special place in the Waikato region of New Zealand. It uses the power of water from the Mokau River to make electricity. This is called hydroelectric power.
Water is collected behind a dam, just above the Wairere Falls. This dam sends the water through big pipes called penstocks to the power station. After making electricity, the water flows back into the Mokau River. The station started working in 1925 with its first machine. Over the years, more machines were added. In 2013-2014, a big update replaced three old machines with one new, powerful one.
Contents
History of Wairere Power Station
Building the Power Station
Building the Wairere Power Station was a big project. A team of workers, led by engineer F. Harvey, worked hard to get it ready.
First Power Generation
The power station began making electricity for homes and businesses in December 1925. By January 1926, about 80 customers in Aria and Piopio were getting power.
The official opening was on May 27, 1926, by Prime Minister Gordon Coates. It started with one main machine, called G1. This machine used a special Francis turbine to spin a generator. It could make 480 kW of power. Water reached G1 through a concrete and steel pipe, about 1.15 m (3.8 ft) wide and 43 m (141 ft) long.
By 1936, the power station was supplying about 350 homes. It used about 120 miles of power lines to send electricity around. Sadly, in 1936, an engineer named Francis Rosengrave Harvey passed away at the station during an upgrade.
Adding More Machines
In 1937, the power board decided to add a second machine. This new machine, G2, was installed in 1938. It added another 240 kW of power, bringing the total to 624 kW. G2 also used a Francis turbine and had its own water pipe, about 2.6 m (8.5 ft) wide and 35 m (115 ft) long.
At first, eels were a problem at the power station. They found a solution in 1939 by using an electrified rod to keep them away from the surge chamber.
Sometimes, when there wasn't enough rain, the river level dropped. This meant the station couldn't make as much power. To help, a 200 kW diesel generator was added to make extra electricity.
The new G2 machine allowed the first machine, G1, to be taken offline for repairs. G1 had been working almost non-stop since it was built. It was quickly repaired and improved, making it 12 percent more efficient! To get more water, a small dam (weir) was built, and the riverbed was made deeper. This helped the station use all the available water.
The power lines from the station to Piopio were also made stronger. This helped handle the growing demand for electricity in the area.
In 1942, a woman named Isobel Gibbs took over the job of operating the power station. She worked seven days a week, from early morning until late at night, to help during the war.
After World War II, the power station connected to the main national power system. This meant Wairere could sell extra power when it had too much, or buy power when it needed more. Because of this connection, the station had to be staffed 24 hours a day.
More Upgrades and New Ownership
In August 1952, the power station got another big upgrade. A third machine, G3, was installed. This machine had an 825 kW generator, making the station even more powerful.
In 1978, the Wairere Electric Power Board joined with the Waitomo Electric Power Board. They became one company, keeping the Waitomo name.
Between 1978 and 1981, the Wairere Power Station was upgraded again. A new machine, G4, was added in 1981. This machine made the station work better and use the river's flow more efficiently.
Later, in 1999, the power station became owned by King Country Energy. This happened because of new rules in New Zealand to make the electricity industry more competitive.
In 2005, special passages were built for fish to move safely upstream and downstream past the dam. They even used video cameras to watch the fish! In one summer, about 1,000 eels moved downstream, and about 160 kg (350 lb) of baby eels moved upstream.
In 2006, a special "tipping gate" was added to the dam. This helps control the water level and reduces flooding upstream. In 2009, the G4 machine was updated with new parts.
The Latest Upgrade: G5
In 2010, King Country Energy looked at how the Wairere station was working. They decided it was better to replace the three older machines (G1, G2, and G3) with one brand new, super-efficient machine.
So, in December 2013, units 1, 2, and 3 were taken out. A new machine, G5, was installed and started working in June 2014. This new machine is much more efficient, making about five percent more power than the three old ones combined!
This big upgrade included a new penstock (water pipe), a new turbine, and a new generator. The building itself was also made stronger to handle earthquakes.
In 2015, another company called Trustpower became a major owner of King Country Energy. By 2017, Trustpower took over running all of King Country Energy's power stations, including Wairere.
How Wairere Power Station Works
The Wairere Power Station uses a concrete dam that is 3.5 m (11 ft) high. This dam has a special gate that can release a lot of water safely, especially during floods.
There are two main water intakes, which are like giant mouths that take water from the river. Both intakes have automatic cleaners to keep them clear. The very first intake, which supplied the old G1 machine, is no longer used.
From each working intake, a large pipe called a penstock carries the water to the powerhouses. One powerhouse was built in the late 1980s for machine G4. The other powerhouse holds the newer G5 machine, installed in 2014. The penstock for G4 is made of concrete, is about 2.6 m (8.5 ft) wide, and 50.3 m (165 ft) long.
Machine G4, installed in 1989, uses a Kaplan turbine to power a 3 MW generator. Machine G5, installed in 2014, uses a horizontal Francis turbine to power a 1.2 MW generator.
The power station is connected to the local electricity network. It can also help support the larger national power grid if needed.
Running the Power Station
The Wairere Power Station operates under special rules and permits. These rules help make sure the station works safely and protects the environment. These permits are valid until December 2032.
