What we do › Our power stations › Hydro › How does hydro energy work

How does hydro energy work

Most of Meridian's electricity is made from the energy of falling water.

  • The water, falling through a pipe called a ‘penstock’, is used to spin a turbine.
  • These turbines look like large wheels with wide spokes. The water hits the blades and pushes them to make the turbine spin.
  • The spinning turbine spins the generator, which generates the electricity.
  • This spinning therefore ‘changes’ the force of falling water into electricity.

It's not possible to store large amounts of electricity. But it is possible to store water in dams.

Find out more about hydro generation – read our brochure Facts about Hydro energy (PDF 384KB)