Horahora Power Station
Encyclopedia
Horahora Power Station was an early hydroelectric
power station on the Waikato River
in New Zealand
. It was the country’s first large-scale power station, completed in 1913. Initially built to service a gold mine, the power station was expanded to supply a significant part of the North Island
. The power station remained in use until was submerged by Lake Karapiro
, which was formed to supply the larger Karapiro Power Station
.
, about 80 km away. Construction began in 1910 and took three years, continuing through the Waihi miners' strike
despite attempts to involve the Horahora construction workers in the strike action. When the power station opened in October 1913 it was the largest generating plant in the country with a capacity of 6.3 MW. The power was put to use throughout the mine and stamping mill
s, however under the mining company’s ownership the power station was never utilised to its full capacity.
The power station was bought by the NZ government in 1919 and it began to supply Cambridge
, Hamilton
and surrounding farming districts. In 1926 the power station was upgraded, increasing capacity to 10.3 MW. This allowed supply to be extended to include the Bay of Plenty
and Auckland
.
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
power station on the Waikato River
Waikato River
The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand. In the North Island, it runs for 425 kilometres from the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and emptying into Lake Taupo, New Zealand's largest lake. It drains Taupo at the lake's northeastern edge, creates the...
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...
. It was the country’s first large-scale power station, completed in 1913. Initially built to service a gold mine, the power station was expanded to supply a significant part of the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
. The power station remained in use until was submerged by Lake Karapiro
Lake Karapiro
Lake Karapiro is an artificial reservoir lake on the Waikato River in the North Island of New Zealand. The lake, near Cambridge and some south-east of the city of Hamilton, was created in 1947 to store water for the Karapiro Power Station, the last of the eight hydroelectric power stations on the...
, which was formed to supply the larger Karapiro Power Station
Karapiro Power Station
The Karapiro Power Station is a hydroelectric power station on Waikato River, in the North Island of New Zealand. The power station station lies on Lake Karapiro, upstream from the city of Hamilton...
.
History
Horahora power station was built by the Waihi gold mining company to provide power for mining operations at WaihiWaihi
Waihi is a town in Hauraki District in the North Island of New Zealand, especially notable for its history as a gold mine town. It had a population of 4,503 at the 2006 census....
, about 80 km away. Construction began in 1910 and took three years, continuing through the Waihi miners' strike
Waihi miners' strike
The Waihi miners' strike was a major strike action in 1912 by gold miners in the New Zealand town of Waihi. It is widely regarded as the most significant industrial action in the history of New Zealand's labour movement...
despite attempts to involve the Horahora construction workers in the strike action. When the power station opened in October 1913 it was the largest generating plant in the country with a capacity of 6.3 MW. The power was put to use throughout the mine and stamping mill
Stamp mill
A stamp mill is a type of mill machine that crushes material by pounding rather than grinding, either for further processing or for extraction of metallic ores. Breaking material down is a type of unit operation....
s, however under the mining company’s ownership the power station was never utilised to its full capacity.
The power station was bought by the NZ government in 1919 and it began to supply Cambridge
Cambridge, New Zealand
Cambridge is a town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand. Situated 24 kilometres southeast of Hamilton, on the banks of the Waikato River, Cambridge is known as "The Town of Trees & Champions".In the 1840s Cambridge had a Maori population but in the 1850's missionaries and...
, Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
and surrounding farming districts. In 1926 the power station was upgraded, increasing capacity to 10.3 MW. This allowed supply to be extended to include the Bay of Plenty
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
and Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
.