Reefton Power Station
| Reefton Power Station | |
|---|---|
 The remains of the Reefton Power Station turbine room as seen in 2008. | |
  Location of Reefton Power Station in New Zealand | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Location | Reefton |
| Coordinates | 42°7.291′S 171°52.171′E / 42.121517°S 171.869517°ECoordinates: 42°7.291′S 171°52.171′E / 42.121517°S 171.869517°E |
| Status | Decommissioned |
| Commission date | 1888 |
| Decommission date | 1949 |
| Owner(s) |
1888 – The Reefton Electrical Transmission of Power and Lighting Company Ltd 1946 – Grey Electric Power Board |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Hydroelectric and steam |
Reefton Power Station was the first power station to supply municipal electricity in the Southern Hemisphere.[1]
It supplied electricity to the town of Reefton in New Zealand. The power station turbine was run by water supplied from the Inangahua River via two tunnels and a headrace flume. After the town was connected to the National Grid in 1949 the power station was decommissioned.
Parts of the original structure remain and are accessible via a walking track,[2] and there are plans for restoration of the site. Stage 1 of this planned restoration was completed on April 11th, 2015. This included new signage, riverbank preservation and walking track restoration.
See also
References
- ↑ New Zealand Historical Atlas – McKinnon, Malcolm (Editor); David Bateman, 1997, Plate 88
- ↑ "Reefton short walks" (PDF). Department of Conservation. Retrieved 2009-06-16.
External links
- IPENZ – Reefton Power Station