The North Bank tunnel concept was a hydroelectric scheme being developed by
Meridian Energy
Meridian Energy Limited is a New Zealand electricity generator and retailer. The company generates the largest proportion of New Zealand's electricity, generating 35 percent of the country's electricity in the year ending December 2014, and is ...
on the
Waitaki River
The Waitaki River is a large braided river that drains the Mackenzie Basin and runs some south-east to enter the Pacific Ocean between Timaru and Oamaru on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It starts at the confluence of the ﾅ ...
in
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour.
...
, New Zealand. The $993 million project was expected to produce an additional per annum, and take up to of water from
Lake Waitaki
Lake Waitaki is the smallest, oldest and most downstream of the three man-made lakes on the Waitaki River, and forms part of the Waitaki hydroelectric scheme in New Zealand's South Island. It lies downstream of lakes Aviemore and Benmore on the ...
. The project would have resulted in a per annum reduction in output from the Waitaki hydro station.
Discovery of geological faultlines prompted a rethink of the project, including consideration of using a canal instead of a tunnel.
Work on the project was suspended in January 2013 due to a forecast of flat demand for electricity for the next five years. Resource consents for the scheme lapsed in 2016.
This project is at a similar location to
Project Aqua
Project Aqua was a hydroelectric scheme proposed for the lower Waitaki River in New Zealand. Although the scheme had considerable support from some locals, it met with opposition from many other groups, and Meridian Energy decided in March 2004 no ...
, a hydroelectric power proposal abandoned by Meridian in 2004.
Resource consent process
In December 2008, Environment Canterbury granted water use consents for this project.
Appeals against this decision were made by
Ngﾄ（ Tahu
Ngﾄ（ Tahu, or Kﾄ（ Tahu, is the principal Mﾄ｛ri (tribe) of the South Island. Its (tribal area) is the largest in New Zealand, and extends from the White Bluffs / Te Parinui o Whiti (southeast of Blenheim), Mount Mahanga and Kahurangi Poi ...
, Ngﾄ（ Tahu Fishers People Inc, the Lower Waitaki River Management Society and Black Point farmer Garth Dovey. The appeal hearings were held in the
Environment Court
The Environment Court of New Zealand ( mi, Te Kﾅ衡i Taiao o Aotearoa) is a specialist court for plans, resource consents and environmental issues. It mainly deals with issues arising under the Resource Management Act, meaning that it covers a ...
during June and July 2009, with water rights being granted in September 2009.
See also
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Electricity sector in New Zealand
The electricity sector in New Zealand uses mainly renewable energy, such as Hydroelectricity, hydropower, geothermal energy, geothermal power and increasingly wind energy. , 82% of electricity is generated from renewable sources, making New Zea ...
*
List of power stations in New Zealand
This is a list of power stations in New Zealand.
The list is not exhaustive 窶 only power stations over 0.5 MW and significant power stations below 0.5 MW are listed.
Power plants in New Zealand have different generating roles ...
References
{{coord missing, New Zealand
Hydroelectric power stations in New Zealand
Tunnels in New Zealand
Proposed hydroelectric power stations
Proposed renewable energy power stations in New Zealand
Buildings and structures in Canterbury, New Zealand