Matiri Project
Intake weir of the hydro scheme
CountryNew Zealand
LocationMatiri Valley, Tasman District
Coordinates41°39′43″S 172°20′4″E / 41.66194°S 172.33444°E / -41.66194; 172.33444
StatusOperational
Commission date11 December 2020
Owner(s)Southern Generation Partnership
Operator(s)Pioneer Energy
Thermal power station
Primary fuelHydropower
Power generation
Nameplate capacity4.6 MW
External links
CommonsRelated media on Commons

The Matiri Project is a run-of-river hydroelectric scheme at Lake Matiri and the Matiri River in the South Island of New Zealand. The project takes water from a series of intake weirs at Lake Matiri and pipes it through a 2.4km long buried pipeline to a power station.[1]

The project was originally proposed by New Zealand Energy Limited, which applied for resource consent for a 4.6 MW station in August 2008.[2] The scheme was opposed by environmentalists and kayakers some of whom were angry that the resource consents were not notified nationwide.[3] The proposal was approved and it included a concession granted by the Department of Conservation to build structures on public land. Forest and Bird did not see that there would be any conservation gain in giving the approval.[4]

The development rights were purchased by Pioneer Energy in 2014.[1] Construction began in 2018.[5] Construction was delayed by a slip[6] and by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the scheme was finally commissioned in December 2020.[1] Ownership was transferred to the Southern Generation partnership on completion.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Cherie Sivignon (11 December 2020). "Matiri hydro scheme officially opens near Murchison". Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  2. ↑ "NZ Energy applies for Matiri Hydro consent". Whitewater NZ. 23 August 2008. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  3. ↑ Kidson, Sally (25 September 2008). "Split over Lake Matiri hydro plan". Nelson Mail. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  4. ↑ Murdock, Helen (26 May 2011). "DOC's hydro approval damns bats". Nelson Mail. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
  5. ↑ Ben Bootsma (6 September 2018). "Two new hydro stations coming for the South Island". Stuff. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  6. ↑ Cherie Sivignon (22 August 2019). "Moving slip near Murchison forces road closure, impedes work on power project". Stuff. Retrieved 1 July 2021.


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