Matiri Project

Matiri Project
Intake weir of the hydro scheme
Map
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
OwnerSouthern Generation Partnership
OperatorPioneer Energy
Thermal power station
Primary fuelHydropower
Power generation
Nameplate capacity4.6 MW
External links
CommonsRelated media on Commons
[edit on Wikidata]

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 2.4 km 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]

  1. ^ a b c d 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.