Aviemore Dam
Encyclopedia
The Aviemore Dam is a dam
of the Waitaki River
in New Zealand
. Built from earth and concrete in the 1960s (and completed in 1968) to dam Lake Aviemore
, it is one of the major dams of Meridian Energy
, and is used to power a hydroelectric power plant. It is a part of the Waitaki River Hydroelectric System, a scheme which supplies 30% of New Zealand's considerable amount of hydropower.
s of 55 Megawatt each (220 MW total), with the generators being 4 x 11 kV. The facility produces approximately 942 GWh
of electricity per year. The net hydraulic head
is 37 m, with the penstock
s (water pipes leading to the turbines) being the largest in New Zealand (as of 2007), with 7 m diameter each.
, who received received an ACENZ
Innovate NZ Silver Award for their safety evaluation & upgrade.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
of the Waitaki River
Waitaki River
The Waitaki River is a large river in the South Island of New Zealand, some 110 km long. It is the major river of the Mackenzie Basin.It is a braided river which flows through Lake Benmore, Lake Aviemore and Lake Waitaki. These are ultimately fed by three large glacial lakes, Pukaki, Tekapo,...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Built from earth and concrete in the 1960s (and completed in 1968) to dam Lake Aviemore
Lake Aviemore
Lake Aviemore or Mahi Tikumu is a man-made lake in New Zealand's South Island, part of the Waitaki hydroelectric scheme. Immediately upstream is Lake Benmore and downstream Lake Waitaki...
, it is one of the major dams of Meridian Energy
Meridian Energy
Meridian Energy Limited is a New Zealand state-owned electricity generator and retailer. The company generates the largest proportion of New Zealand's electricity, generating 32 percent of the country's electricity in the year ending 31 December 2009, and is the fourth-equal largest retailer, with...
, and is used to power a hydroelectric power plant. It is a part of the Waitaki River Hydroelectric System, a scheme which supplies 30% of New Zealand's considerable amount of hydropower.
Composite structure
The dam is located over unequal ground underneath, due to the line of the Waitangi Fault. On the northern side in Canterbury, the dam is founded on solid rock, and consists of a 335-metre-long concrete structure. On the southern side in Otago, the dam crosses the fault as a 457 m long earth dam. During the construction of the concrete section, low-heat cement was first used in a large-scale application in New Zealand, to allow quick concrete pouring without the need for cooling elements.Hydroelectric facilities
The dam contains 4 francis turbineFrancis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
s of 55 Megawatt each (220 MW total), with the generators being 4 x 11 kV. The facility produces approximately 942 GWh
Watt-hour
The kilowatt hour, or kilowatt-hour, is a unit of energy equal to 1000 watt hours or 3.6 megajoules.For constant power, energy in watt hours is the product of power in watts and time in hours...
of electricity per year. The net hydraulic head
Hydraulic head
Hydraulic head or piezometric head is a specific measurement of water pressure above a geodetic datum. It is usually measured as a water surface elevation, expressed in units of length, at the entrance of a piezometer...
is 37 m, with the penstock
Penstock
A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydraulic turbines and sewerage systems. It is a term that has been inherited from the technology of wooden watermills....
s (water pipes leading to the turbines) being the largest in New Zealand (as of 2007), with 7 m diameter each.
Seismic strengthening
In the 2000s, works were undertaken to strengthen the dam against earthquake forces and to reduce the effect of overtopping resulting from earthquake-induced landslides into Lake Aviemore, as the dam straddles the Waitangi Fault, which at the time of construction had been considered inactive, but has since been upgraded to dormant. The analysis and design was undertaken by Opus New Zealand and URS New ZealandURS Corp.
URS Corporation is an engineering design firm and a U.S. federal government contractor. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, URS is a full-service, global organization with offices located in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific.-History:...
, who received received an ACENZ
Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand
The Association of Consulting Engineers New Zealand is New Zealands main business association representing engineers providing consultancy services in a wide range of disciplines...
Innovate NZ Silver Award for their safety evaluation & upgrade.
External links
- Meridian Energy power stations (from the Meridian EnergyMeridian EnergyMeridian Energy Limited is a New Zealand state-owned electricity generator and retailer. The company generates the largest proportion of New Zealand's electricity, generating 32 percent of the country's electricity in the year ending 31 December 2009, and is the fourth-equal largest retailer, with...
website)