Benmore Hydro Power Station 540 MW

Benmore Hydro,
South Island, New Zealand
Here are 6 alternators of 90 Megawatts each. Stepping up the voltage from 16 kV to 220 kV supplying the South Island and the North Island via the 620 kV (was 500 kV) DC link.
Part of the switch yard has the rectifiers which can transfer from Benmore to Haywards ( North Island ) .

This video was taken in 1991 while on holiday in the South Island and was recorded on a VHS-C camera.
Still very interesting Ferranti and Landis & Gyr electromechanical metering in use.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• electricity
• power
• hydro
• Benmore
• station
• generation
• control
• room
• Ferranti

[VoyageOne1]

The tower at 0:42 looks like a North American design

[RODALCO2007]

@VoyageOne1 Lots of these type of towers in New Zealand used on single circuit transmission lines.

[hugestomper]

LoL the rectifier-plant is huge! is it a tube-type, or semiconductor-type?

[RODALCO2007]

Used to be tube and liquid mercury, I think it is solid state now.

This video was from 1991.

[narcoti]

why dc?

[VoyageOne1]

@RODALCO2007 I just haven't seen many single circuit lines in the flesh

operating at 600 kV. Those transformers are loud bastards

[bobbj77]

very very impressive video, more more more please

[bobbj77]

@BurtBartlow LOL, work in comfort man

[a380rockerfan]

I love the 50 Hz hum of the transformers!

[seatboi]

What exactly is the function of that big thing in the cabinet that clicks & clacks back & forth at 1:58 ?? Is this 50cycle power?? Those HV lines look awful low to the ground! How far above your head were they?

[RODALCO2007]

@Nivicoman It will be a series parrallel type arrangement.

I have seen the Asea rectifiers in Haywards, Wellington and they were mercury recifiers with 4 huge tanks each arranged in banks.

unable to find that video at this stage.

[Nivicoman]

@RODALCO2007 I imagine semiconductor type rectifiers to be much larger than any I've seen. They would dwarf a 10 cm diameter 1200 amp puck style diode or scr device. At 620 KV would the devices be in series with equalizing networks across each?