à Âhau C is a hydroelectric power station in the Mackenzie Basin, Canterbury, New Zealand. Operated by Meridian Energy, it is one of the three à Âhau stations in the Upper Waitaki hydro scheme. It is a twin station to à Âhau B, and receives water that has already passed through à Âhau B from Lake Ruataniwha, before discharging into Lake Benmore.
Construction of à Âhau C began in 1979 and the station became fully operational in 1985. It was the last hydro station built on the Waitaki scheme, completing the scheme 56 years after construction began on the Waitaki dam and power station in 1928.
The Upper Waitaki hydro scheme comprises the three à Âhau stations, the two Tekapo stations, two dams and six canals. Its development also created Lake Ruataniwha, the newest lake in the Waitaki Basin.
à Âhau C has four 53-megawatt generating units with a total installed capacity of 212 MW. Like à Âhau B, it uses similar equipment and has the same generating capacity; the 2025 WSP hydro-schemes report states that each of the twin stations produces approximately 958 GWh annually.