Karapiro is a 96 MW hydro power plant in New Zealand, operated by Mercury Energy since 1947. Ranked #11 of 24 hydro plants in New Zealand. Its 96 MW represents 2.19% of New Zealand's total hydro capacity of 4,388 MW. The largest hydro plant in New Zealand is Manapouri at 800 MW, making Karapiro 8.3 times smaller. Nearby plants within 50 km include Huntly (500 MW, Coal), Huntly (403 MW, Gas), and Maraetai (352 MW, Hydro). The facility is located in the Waikato region, approximately 150 km south of Auckland.
79 years old
New Zealand, Oceania
- 20. largest of 43 plants in New Zealand
- #10,510 worldwide by installed capacity
- #2,364 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
- 1.44% of the installed capacity of New Zealand
79 years in operation
Hydroelectric fleet average: 42.1 years
Mercury Energy operates 12 plants totalling 1,434 MW
18 plants within 100 km, 2,591 MW combined
Source: Mercury Energy
Location
Zero Direct Emissions
Karapiro is a hydro power plant producing approximately 336 GWh of clean electricity per year with zero direct CO₂ emissions during operation.
Lifecycle emissions: ~24 g CO₂/kWh (manufacturing, transport, decommissioning)
Technical Details
- Primary Fuel Type
- Hydro
- Energy Source
- Renewable
- Country
New Zealand- Continent
- Oceania
- Data Source
- Global Power Plant Database
Nearby Power Plants
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