Palmerston North Electric Power Station Inc.
The Palmerston North Electric Power Station is located in Keith Street, Palmerston North, New Zealand, adjoining Terrace End Cemetery and overlooking Napier Road (State Highway 3).
The Palmerston North Borough Council (PNBC) built and equipped the Palmerston North Electric Power Station between December 1922 and March 1924. It began a limited supply of electricity, for lighting purposes only, in March 1924. Unrestricted usage began in August 1924. The facility was ‘officially’ opened on 12 November 1924. Between April and December 1924, the power station also supplied the Manawatu-Oroua Electric Power Board’s (MOEPB) customers, via its sub-station at Bunnythorpe. This ceased with the completion of 11,000-volt lines from the Mangahao Hydro Electric Dam to that sub-station. Mangahao itself was officially opened on 3 November 1924, a week before the Palmerston North facility’s 'official' opening
At first, three National gas engines powered the station, but in 1936, the present two 1,400 hp. British Polar K48M diesel engines were installed. The gas engines were removed and scrapped in late 1953, although the original switchgear upstairs, and the four large compressed air cylinders on the wall downstairs remain The power station generated electricity regularly until the completion of the Cook Strait cable in 1965. After that, it helped reduce the loading at peak times. It was last used to continuously generate electricity when the level of the southern lakes dropped in 1992.
At times over the years, the power station was the focus of battles between its owner (PNBC, now PN City Council) and MOEPB, which surrounded the city. However, by the time Centralpower (formerly MOEPB) purchased Palmerston North City Council’s Electropower (formerly the council’s Municipal Electricity Department) in December 1996, it had no use for the old building and its contents. PNCC, therefore, remained its owner. The power station’s fate seemed shaky until the Manawatu Branch of the NZ Historic Places Trust and interested local people organised an open day and 'engine start' on 23 March 1997. In the two-hour period, about 350 people visited the power station - despite terrible weather. Because of growing interest in saving the building, a meeting of interested people was held on 26 May 1997, and from this group, Palmerston North Electric Power Station Inc. ( PNEPS Inc.) was in due course formed.
Since that time, a range of transformations have occurred - however, this building and its contents remain a 'work-in-progress'. Both British Polar engine are still run from time to time and we run them for visiting groups about four times per year, as well as on our annual open day in early November.
