Waipapa Power Station is a hydroelectric power station on the Waikato River, in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the sixth hydroelectric power station on the Waikato River. It is the smallest power station on the Waikato River.[3]
Waipapa Power Station | |
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![]() Waipapa Power Station in 2009 | |
Country | New Zealand |
Location | Waikato River |
Coordinates | 38°17′31″S 175°41′1″E |
Purpose | Power |
Status | Operational |
Opening date | 1961 |
Dam and spillways | |
Impounds | Waikato River |
Waipapa Power Station | |
Operator(s) | Mercury Energy |
Commission date | 1961 |
Turbines | 3 Kaplan turbines[1] |
Installed capacity | 54 MW |
Annual generation | 330 GWh[2] |
Waipapa is operated by the publicly listed company Mercury Energy, an electricity generation and retail company.
Although this site was initially considered in 1943, the decision to proceed with hydro development was not made until 1953. Construction began in 1955 and the first electricity was generated in April 1961. In 2001, the turbines were refurbished to improve operational efficiency.[4]
Mercury Energy | |
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Power stations | |
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Electricity generation in Waikato | ||||||||||||||
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Operating power stations |
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Source: Mount Ruapehu—Flows into: Tasman Sea | |
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Major tributaries (upstream to downstream by confluence) | |
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Longest New Zealand rivers |
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Hydroelectric dams on the Waikato River | |
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