Meridian Energy is going to Waimate to outline and answer questions on the new hydro-electric scheme it is proposing to build on the north bank of the lower Waitaki River.
Company representatives, including its chief executive, Tim Lusk, and senior management, are hosting with the Rotary Club of Waimate and Waimate District Council an invitation-only evening next Monday at the Waimate Golf Club rooms to present the latest details on the north bank tunnel concept scheme.
The scheme, estimated to cost more than $1 billion, uses tunnels and a canal between the Waitaki dam and Stonewall in the Waimate district to deliver water to two power stations which will generate between 1100 and 1400GWh of electricity a year.
In September, Meridian announced it had changed the design of the scheme after further investigations.
Instead of one 34km-long tunnel up to 12m wide, it now proposed a 12km tunnel from the Waitaki dam, then a 13km-long canal hugging the foothills north of State Highway 82, re-entering an end tunnel before discharging the water back into the river.
Instead of one power station, two were now being proposed for the revised scheme: at the exit from the first tunnel and at the final outfall.
Council chief executive Tony Alden said the presentation offered an opportunity for people to learn more about the proposed scheme.
The Meridian board had recently completed the feasibility stage of the project, which had led to the design change, and had given approval for the project to move on to the next stage.
