Image courtesy of Mercury NZMercury has completed testing and commissioning of the third and final new generator unit at the Karāpiro Hydro Station, marking the end of a multi-year refurbishment project. The $90 million upgrade, which began in 2018 with on-site work starting three years ago, involved the full replacement of the station’s three generators, turbines and water intake gates. The project has added 14MW of generation capacity, bringing the total installed capacity to 112.5MW. They are designed to provide at least 50 more years of renewable electricity generation while meeting modern dam safety standards. In August, Mercury Chief Executive Stew Hamilton hosted the community at a celebration event as the project neared completion.