Roxburgh Dam

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Roxburgh Dam

Roxburgh Dam machine hall
Location of Roxburgh Dam
Location Central Otago, New Zealand
Coordinates 45°28′33″S 169°19′21″E / 45.475811°S 169.322555°E / -45.475811; 169.322555Coordinates: 45°28′33″S 169°19′21″E / 45.475811°S 169.322555°E / -45.475811; 169.322555
Dam and spillways
Type of dam Concrete gravity dam
Impounds Clutha River / Mata-Au
Length 358 m (1,175 ft)
Height 76 m (249 ft)
Elevation at crest 10.7 m (35 ft)
Reservoir
Creates Lake Roxburgh
Surface area 6 km2 (2.3 sq mi)
Power station
Commission date 1956 - 1962
Turbines 8
Installed capacity 320 MW
Annual generation 1,650 GWh

The Roxburgh Dam is the earliest of the large hydroelectric projects in the southern South Island of New Zealand. It lies across the Clutha River / Mata-Au, some 160 kilometres (99 mi) from Dunedin, some 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) to the north of the town of Roxburgh. The settlement of Lake Roxburgh Village close to the western edge of the dam.

Construction

The dam was constructed by a joint venture company between Holland, Hannen & Cubitts of the UK and S A Conrad Zschokke of Switzerland between 1949 and 1953.[1] Because of a lack of performance the initial contract was closed in 1953 and a new contract in which the original two companies were joined by Downer, a New Zealand construction company completed the main construction of the Station in 1957. The power station was commissioned over the period 1956-1962. The generating capacity was doubled in 1961-62. Today the eight-unit power station has a capacity of 320 megawatts operated by Contact Energy.[2]

Lake Roxburgh, the lake formed behind the dam, extends for nearly 30 kilometres (19 mi) towards the town of Alexandra.

Gallery

  • Spillway

  • Outdoor view, cleary showing the eight penstocks

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Sign advertising Cubitts and Zschokke, and the Roxburgh Hyro-electric power project, Roxburgh Hydro". Retrieved 4 June 2012. 
  2. ↑ "Hydroelectricity". Contact Energy. 

Further reading

  • Martin, John E, ed. (1991). People, Power and Power Stations: Electric Power Generation in New Zealand 1880 - 1990. Wellington: Bridget Williams Books Ltd and Electricity Corporation of New Zealand. pp. 316 pages. ISBN 0-908912-16-1. 
  • Reilly, Helen (2008). Connecting the Country: New Zealand’s National Grid 1886 - 2007. Wellington: Steele Roberts. pp. 376 pages. ISBN 978-1-877448-40-9. 
  • Sheridan, Marion (1995). Dam Dwellers – End of an Era. Twizel: Sheridan Press. pp. 392 pages. ISBN 0-473-03402-6. 
Source: Southern Alps—Flows into: Pacific Ocean
Administrative areas
Towns and settlements (upstream to downstream)
Major tributaries (upstream to downstream by confluence)
Lakes in catchment (upstream to downstream by location or tributary)
Islands in catchment (upstream to downstream by location or tributary)
Other features (upstream to downstream)
Longest New Zealand rivers
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