Aviemore Dam

Last updated

Aviemore Dam
Aviemore Dam From Canterbury.jpg
The dam as seen from the northern side
Official nameAviemore Dam
Location Canterbury/Otago, New Zealand
Construction began1962
Opening date1968
Operator(s) Meridian Energy
Dam and spillways
Impounds Waitaki River
Reservoir
Creates Lake Aviemore

The Aviemore Dam is a dam on the Waitaki River in New Zealand. The dam is a composite dam, with an embankment section, and a concrete section. Built in the 1960s (and completed in 1968) [1] it impounds Lake Aviemore.

Contents

Aviemore Dam is owned and operated by Meridian Energy, and its primary purpose is to power a hydroelectric power plant. [2] It is a part of the Waitaki River Hydroelectric System, a scheme which supplies 30% of New Zealand's considerable amount of hydropower. [3]

Characteristics

Composite Dam structure

The founding conditions of the dam differ on either side of the Waitangi Fault, hence different dam construction types are used. On the northern side of the valley (Canterbury side), the dam is founded on greywacke rock, and consists of a 335-metre (1,099 ft)-long concrete structure. On the southern side of the valley (Otago side), the dam is founded on tertiary sedimentary rock, an consists of a 457 metres (1,499 ft) long zoned embankment (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. [4] The dams spill outlets and penstocks are incorporated into the concrete dam section.

Hydroelectric facilities

The dam's hydroelectric generation facilities consist of 4 Francis turbines each of 55 megawatts (74,000 hp), with a total capacity of 220 megawatts (300,000 hp) total), with the generators being 4 x 11 kV. The facility produces approximately 942 gigawatt-hours (3,390 TJ) of electricity per year. The net hydraulic head is 37 metres (121 ft), with the penstocks (water pipes leading to the turbines) being the largest diameter in New Zealand at the time of construction, at 7 metres (23 ft) diameter each. [4]

Seismic enhancement

In the mid 2000's (decade), work was undertaken to enhance the dam and its appurtenant structures against the effects of earthquake loads, and to reduce the risk of overtopping resulting from earthquake-induced seiche waves in Lake Aviemore, in the event of rupture of the Waitangi Fault.

At the time of construction the Waitangi fault had been considered inactive, but investigations in the early 2000's found the fault to be active (but with low probability of movement). The analysis and safety evaluation of the dam, and design of enhancements was led by URS Consultants, who received an ACENZ Innovate NZ Silver Award for their safety evaluation & upgrade. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benmore Dam</span> Dam in Canterbury Region, New Zealand

Benmore Dam is the largest dam within the Waitaki power scheme, located in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand's South Island. There are eight other power stations in the Waitaki Power Scheme.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waitaki River</span> River in the South Island of New Zealand

The Waitaki River is a large braided river in the South Island of New Zealand. It drains the Mackenzie Basin and runs 209 kilometres (130 mi) south-east to enter the Pacific Ocean between Timaru and Oamaru on the east coast. It starts at the confluence of the Ōhau and Tekapo rivers, now at the head of the artificial Lake Benmore, these rivers being fed by three large glacial lakes, Pukaki, Tekapo, and Ōhau at the base of the Southern Alps. The Waitaki flows through Lake Benmore, Lake Aviemore and Lake Waitaki, these lakes being contained by hydroelectric dams, Benmore Dam, Aviemore Dam and Waitaki Dam. The Waitaki has several tributaries, notably the Ahuriri River and the Hakataramea River. It passes Kurow and Glenavy before entering the Pacific Ocean. The River lends its name the Waitaki District on the south side of the river bank.

Lake Waitaki is the smallest, oldest and most downstream of the three man-made lakes on the Waitaki River, and forms part of the Waitaki hydroelectric scheme in New Zealand's South Island. It lies downstream of lakes Aviemore and Benmore on the Waitaki River, close to the town of Kurow. It is part of the traditional boundary of the Canterbury and Otago regions (although the official border has been moved southward to include the entire lake, as well as the entire northwest portion of Waitaki District within the Canterbury Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rubicon Hydroelectric Scheme</span> Hydroelectric scheme in Victoria, Australia

The Rubicon Hydroelectric Scheme is a small run-of-the-river hydroelectric scheme located on the Rubicon and Royston Rivers, north east of Melbourne, 40 km (25 mi) south-west of Alexandra, Victoria, Australia. The scheme commenced in 1922, and was the first state-owned hydroelectric scheme to generate electricity in mainland Australia, and among the first in the world to be remotely controlled. For the first ten years of its operation it supplied on average 16.9% of electricity generated by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria. It is now owned and operated by AGL Energy and contributes approximately 0.02% of Victoria's energy supply.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coleridge Power Station</span> Dam in Canterbury, New Zealand

The Coleridge Power Station is a hydroelectric facility at Lake Coleridge on the Rakaia River in Canterbury, New Zealand. The power station is owned and operated by Manawa Energy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atiamuri Power Station</span> Hydroelectric power station on the Waikato River in New Zealand

Ātiamuri Power Station is a hydroelectric power station on the Waikato River, in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the third of eight hydroelectric power stations on the Waikato River. The station can easily be seen from State Highway 1 between Taupō and Tokoroa.

Maraetai Power Station is a hydroelectric power station on the Waikato River, in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the fifth of the eight hydroelectric power stations on the Waikato River, and at 360 MW, is the largest hydroelectric station on the Waikato.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail</span> Cycle trail in New Zealand

The Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail is a cycle trail in New Zealand. This trail is one of the projects of the New Zealand Cycle Trail project. The trail extends more than 300 kilometres (190 mi) from Aoraki / Mount Cook to Oamaru on the Pacific Ocean. From west to east, it descends from an altitude of 780 metres (2,560 ft) down to sea level. The trail has both on and off-road sections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">José Richa Hydroelectric Plant</span> Dam in Paraná, Brazil

The Governor José Richa Hydroelectric Plant, formerly known as Salto Caxias, is a dam and hydroelectric power plant on the Iguazu River near Caxias in Paraná, Brazil. It is the first dam upstream of the Iguazu Falls and was constructed between 1995 and 1999. The power station has a 1,240-megawatt (1,660,000 hp) capacity and is supplied with water by a roller-compacted concrete gravity dam.

The Salto Santiago Hydroelectric Power Plant is a dam and hydroelectric power plant on the Iguazu River near Santiago in Paraná, Brazil. It is the third dam upstream of the Iguazu Falls and was completed in 1979. The power station has a 1,420 MW capacity and is supplied with water by a rock-fill embankment dam.

The Governor Bento Munhoz da Rocha Netto Hydroelectric Plant, formerly known as Foz do Areia, is dam and hydroelectric power plant on the Iguazu River near Foz do Areia in Paraná, Brazil. It is the furthest dam upstream of the Iguazu Falls and was constructed between 1976 and 1980. The power station has a 1,676 megawatts (2,248,000 hp) capacity and is supplied with water by a concrete face rock-fill embankment dam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Itá Hydroelectric Power Plant</span> Dam in Santa Catarina/Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

The Itá Hydroelectric Power Plant is a dam and hydroelectric power plant on the Uruguay River near Itá on the border of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The power station has a 1,450-megawatt (1,940,000 hp) capacity and is supplied with water by a concrete face rock-fill embankment dam. It is owned and operated by Tractebel Energia and produces the equivalent of 60% of the energy consumed in Santa Catarina.

The São Simão Dam is an embankment dam on the Paranaíba River near São Simão in Goiás/Minas Gerais, Brazil. It was constructed for hydroelectric power production and flood control. The dam was completed in 1978 and all generators were operational by 1979. In 1977, the first use of roller compacted concrete in Brazilian dam construction occurred on the São Simão.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Wahda Dam (Morocco)</span> Dam in Ouezzane Province, Morocco

Al Wahda Dam, formerly known as M'Jaara Dam, is an embankment dam on the Ouergha River near M´Jaara in Ouezzane Province, Morocco. It was constructed for flood control, irrigation, water supply and hydroelectric power production. It is the second largest dam in Africa and the largest in Morocco. It was described by Land Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ) as "the second most important dam in Africa after the High Aswan dam."

The Porce III Dam is an embankment dam on the Porce River 90 kilometres (56 mi) northeast of Medellín in Antioquia Department, Colombia. The dam was constructed between 2004 and 2011 for the primary purpose of hydroelectric power generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shin-Takasegawa Pumped Storage Station</span> Dam in Ōmachi, Nagano Prefecture

The Shin-Takasegawa Pumped Storage Station (新高瀬川発電所) uses the Takase River to operate a pumped storage hydroelectric scheme about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) west of Ōmachi in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Part of the system is within Chūbu-Sangaku National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kazunogawa Pumped Storage Power Station</span> Pumped-storage hydroelectric power station in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan

The Kazunogawa Pumped Storage Power Station is a pumped-storage hydroelectric power station near Kōshū in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. The station is designed to have an installed capacity of 1,600 megawatts (2,100,000 hp) and three of the four 400 megawatts (540,000 hp) generators are currently operational, for a total operational capacity of 1200 MW. Construction on the power station began in 1993 and the first generator was commissioned on 3 December 1999. The second was commissioned on 8 June 2000. The third one became operational on 9 June 2014, six year early due to post-power demand from the Great East Japan earthquake. The fourth and final generator is slated to be commissioned by 2024. It is owned by TEPCO and was constructed at a cost of US$2.2 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waitaki Dam</span> Dam in South Canterbury, New Zealand

The Waitaki Dam is one of eight hydroelectric power stations which form the Waitaki hydroelectric scheme on the Waitaki River in the Canterbury Region of New Zealand. The dam was the first of three to be built on the Waitaki River and was constructed without earthmoving machinery; over half a million cubic metres of material was excavated, almost entirely by pick-and-shovel. The Waitaki Dam's construction was followed by the development of Aviemore Dam and Benmore Dam, and importantly, every dam built in New Zealand since the Waitaki has benefited from lessons learned during its construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tekapo A Power Station</span> Hydroelectric power station in Canterbury, New Zealand

The Tekapo A Power Station is a hydroelectric facility at the southern end of Lake Tekapo in the Mackenzie Basin, Canterbury, New Zealand. It is a short distance south of the township. The power station is owned and operated by Genesis Energy Limited.

References

  1. "Aviemore hydro dam". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand . Archived from the original on 2007-08-09. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
  2. 1 2 Aviemore Dam Seismic Safety Evaluation & Upgrade - Innovate NZ, Brochure of the '2007 ACENZ Awards of Excellence', Page 13
  3. "Aviemore Dam". URS. Archived from the original on 2006-03-13. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  4. 1 2 "Introducing Aviemore" (PDF). Meridian Energy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-10-15. Retrieved 2007-10-10.

Further reading

44°39′21″S170°21′18″E / 44.655955°S 170.35512°E / -44.655955; 170.35512