Whakamaru Dam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Whakamaru Power Station |
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 Location of Whakamaru Power Station in New Zealand
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| Country | New Zealand |
| Location | Lake Whakamaru |
| Coordinates | 38°25′11″S 175°48′30″E / 38.41972°S 175.80833°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Opening date | 1949 |
| Owner(s) | Mercury Energy |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Waikato River |
| Power station | |
| Turbines | 4 |
| Installed capacity | 100 MW |
The Whakamaru Power Station is a power plant in New Zealand. It uses the power of water to create electricity. This type of power is called hydroelectric power.
The station is located on the Waikato River in the North Island. It is the fourth power station built along this river. The power station is owned and run by Mercury Energy.
The water for the station comes from Lake Whakamaru. This lake is one of the biggest water storage areas on the Waikato River.
Building the Power Station
Work on the Whakamaru Power Station began in 1949. First, a 10-kilometer (6-mile) road was built from Mangakino. Mangakino was the main center for building power stations on the Waikato River at that time.
Next, workers built a special channel to move the river water. This channel was 259 meters (850 feet) long, 31 meters (102 feet) deep, and 7 meters (23 feet) wide. It took three years to finish this important part of the project.
The ground where the dam was built had many cracks. These cracks were filled with clay, making the rock a bit leaky. To fix this, workers dug shafts into the rock. They cleaned out the clay and then pumped cement into the cracks. This made the ground strong and safe for the dam.
How Electricity Travels
Whakamaru is a very important place for sending electricity around the North Island. The electricity made at Whakamaru, and from five other power stations on the Waikato River, all comes together here. Power from geothermal stations in the area also connects at Whakamaru.
From Whakamaru, the electricity travels through large power lines. These lines send power to places like the Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu, and Hamilton.
The biggest path for electricity goes to Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. Auckland is about 200 kilometers (124 miles) north of Whakamaru. Several large power lines connect Whakamaru to Auckland.
From 1964 to 1992, the main control center for all electricity in the North Island was at Whakamaru. This center managed how power was made and sent out. Later, a new center was built in Hamilton.
A big new power line was built from Whakamaru to Brownhill Road. This line helps send more electricity to Auckland. It also helps with new power coming from geothermal plants near Taupo. A new station, called Whakamaru North, was built nearby for this new line.
Keeping the Station Running
In 2013, a project started to make the power station even better. This project involved updating the turbines and generators. Turbines are like big water wheels that spin when water flows through them. Generators then turn this spinning motion into electricity.
New parts for the generators arrived in 2016. They were installed and started working in 2017. GE Renewables supplied the new generator parts. Andritz Hydro provided the new turbine parts. This work helps the Whakamaru Power Station keep making electricity for many years to come.
