Oxburn Station
Constructed amongst challenging mountainous terrain to provide local power to the Glenorchy area of Lake Wakatipu.
Commissioned: 1954
Operating Head: 64m
Annual Generation: 2.5 GWh
The Oxburn Dam
Due to the distance from the nearest point of supply at Queenstown, and the nature of the terrain between Queenstown and Glenorchy, it was decided to build a local generating station and reticulate the district from that point.
In April 1967, a workers’ camp was established and, a waterpower licence having been received, construction began of a new generation station at the Oxburn (or Twelve-Mile). Despite heavy flooding several times during the project, an intake dam and pipeline were constructed. The powerhouse was built, plant installed, and reticulation of the district was completed in time for an official opening on 8th February 1969.
The Oxburn Scheme consists of a concrete gravity dam, 14m in height, giving an operating head of 65m. The Scheme takes water from the Oxburn Dam on the Oxburn River. From the dam, water travels via a 470m long, 686mm diameter steel pipeline/penstock to the power station. The turbine and other components were overhauled in 2006.
The Oxburn Power Station