A flick through the pages of Concrete magazine (then New Zealand Concrete Construction) from 23-years ago reveals that the Ohaaki cooling tower was stealing all the headlines. In winning the 1988 Concrete Society Award, the judges commented that although natural draught cooling towers are not unique, the Ohaaki tower incorporates many unusual features that ensure its lasting significance. Drawing its energy from the Broadlands Geothermal field, the Ohaaki Power Station passes steam through a series of turbines to generate power, and then condenses the steam into water for re-injection into the ground. The original owners of Ohaaki, the Electricity Corporation NZ Ltd, decided the best way to dissipate the excess heat from this process was via a natural draught cooling tower. In 1983, the contract was awarded to Wilkins & Davies Limited - Multi Constructional Enterprises Limited Joint Venture.
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