Waipapa — New Zealand
Hydro power plant in Waikato, New Zealand. Approximate location -38.292, 175.6835.
HydroWaikatoNew Zealand
Waipapa is a 54 MW hydro power plant in Waikato, New Zealand. It is operated by Mercury Energy. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 54k homes (estimated). It ranks #39 of 50 New Zealand power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1961, it is around 65 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 54.8% of New Zealand's electricity; the national grid averages 93 gCO₂/kWh (88.5% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1000317.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100001023140; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 54 MW, Waipapa is below the median hydro plant in New Zealand (90 MW). Hydropower converts the energy of falling or flowing water into electricity; output depends on rainfall and reservoir level, and large dams also provide grid balancing and storage.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of New Zealand hydro capacity
- 1.2% of 4,388 MW across 24 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 11 of 23 dated hydro plants in New Zealand are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest hydro plants in New Zealand
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Mercury Energy. All plants by this company →
Local climate & thermal context
This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 38.3°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 13% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.
Climate heat-demand index: 45/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #18 largest hydro power plant of 24 in New Zealand by capacity.
New Zealand has 24 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 4,388 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
Location
Coordinates -38.292, 175.6835 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Waipapa?
Waipapa is a 54 MW hydro power plant in Waikato, New Zealand, commissioned in 1961.
Who operates Waipapa?
Waipapa is operated by Mercury Energy.