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°E / -42.121517; 171.869517Coordinates: 42°7.291′S 171°52.171′E / 42.121517°S 171.869517°E / -42.121517; 171.869517
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 11, 2015. This included new signage, riverbank preservation and walking track restoration.

See also

References

  1. New Zealand Historical Atlas – McKinnon, Malcolm (Editor); David Bateman, 1997, Plate 88
  2. "Reefton short walks" (PDF). Department of Conservation. Retrieved 2009-06-16.


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