World Power Plants

Waitaki is a 90 MW hydro power plant in New Zealand, operated by Meridian Energy. Ranked #12 of 24 hydro plants in New Zealand, Waitaki's 90 MW represents 2.05% of New Zealand's total hydro capacity of 4,388 MW. The largest hydro plant in New Zealand is Manapouri at 800 MW, making Waitaki 8.9 times smaller. Nearby plants within 50 km include Ohau A (688 MW, Hydro), Benmore (540 MW, Hydro), and Aviemore (220 MW, Hydro). The facility is located in the Canterbury region, approximately 60 km from Christchurch.

Capacity
90 MW
Commissioning Year
1953

73 years old

Owner
Meridian Energy
Location
-44.6747°, 170.3989°

New Zealand, Oceania

Context & rankings
  • 22. largest of 43 plants in New Zealand
  • #10,691 worldwide by installed capacity
  • #2,428 of 8,493 Hydroelectric plants worldwide
  • 1.35% of the installed capacity of New Zealand
Age & fleet comparison

73 years in operation

Hydroelectric fleet average: 42.1 years

Operator portfolio

Meridian Energy operates 12 plants totalling 2,886 MW

Regional density

5 plants within 100 km, 1,639 MW combined

Nearest plant: Aviemore (4 km)

Data provenance

Location

Coordinates:: -44.674700, 170.398900
Open in Google Maps
Carbon Footprint

Zero Direct Emissions

Waitaki is a hydro power plant producing approximately 315 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

New ZealandEnergy Profile

43
Total Plants
6.7 GW
Total Capacity
HydroGeothermalGasCoal
Top Fuels

See Incorrect or Missing Data?

Help us improve our database by reporting any corrections or updates. Your contribution helps keep our global power plant data accurate and up-to-date.