Geothermal power in New Zealand - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Geothermal power
Geothermal power
Geothermal energy is thermal energy generated and stored in the Earth. Thermal energy is the energy that determines the temperature of matter. Earth's geothermal energy originates from the original formation of the planet and from radioactive decay of minerals...

in New Zealand is a small but significant part of the energy generation capacity of the country

Electricity sector in New Zealand

The electricity sector in New Zealand uses mainly renewable energy sources such as hydropower, geothermal power and increasingly wind energy. The 70% share of renewable energy sources makes New Zealand one of the lowest carbon dioxide emitting countries in terms of electricity generation....

, providing approximately 10% of the country's electricity with installed capacity of over 700 MW. New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, like only a small number of other countries worldwide, has numerous geothermal sites that could be developed for exploitation, and also boasts some of the earliest large-scale use of geothermal energy in the world.

Geothermal energy has been described as New Zealand's most reliable renewable energy source, above wind, solar and even hydroelectricity, due to its lack of dependence on the weather. It has also been described as the currently (2000s and 2010s) most attractive new source of energy for New Zealand, as petrochemical fuel prices rise and easy hydro power sites have been tapped - though some warn that the easier geothermal sites now have also been built on, making future large-scale projects more cost-intensive.

Geothermal fields

The exploration of New Zealand's geothermal fields has been very extensive, and by the 1980s, most fields were considered mapped, with 129 found, of which 14 are in the 70-140 °C range, 7 in the 140-220 °C range and 15 in the >220 °C range. Currently, some potential new geothermal fields are being surveyed that have no surface expression.

New Zealand's high-temperature geothermal fields are mostly concentrated around the Taupo Volcanic Zone

Taupo Volcanic Zone

The Taupo Volcanic Zone is a highly active volcanic V shaped area in the North Island of New Zealand that is spreading east -west at the rate of about 8mm per year...

(which also has most of the currently operating generation capacity), in the central North Island

North Island

The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...

, with another major field

Ngawha geothermal field

The Ngawha geothermal field is a geothermal area in the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated approximately 5 km east of Kaikohe and is centred around the village of Ngawha Springs. The field covers an area of around 25 km² and as such, is much smaller than the only other geothermal...

at Ngawha Springs

Ngawha Springs

Ngawha Springs is a small settlement approximately five kilometres east of the town of Kaikohe, Northland in New Zealand.It is the location of Ngawha Springs, a hot water spring that reputedly has therapeutic properties for those who bathe in its waters, and is the source of the steam used at the...

in Northland. However, more systems (some of them potentially exploitable) are scattered all over the country, from the Hauraki Plains

Hauraki Plains

The Hauraki Plains are a geographical feature and non-administrative area located in the northern North Island of New Zealand, at the lower end of the Thames Valley...

to the Bay of Plenty

Bay of Plenty

The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...

to numerous hot springs in the South Island

South Island

The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...

, most of them associated with faults and other tectonic features.

Many applications of geothermal energy in New Zealand reinject the cooled steam / fluid back into the underground fields, to extend or infinitely use the fields as power sources.

History

Geothermal energy use in New Zealand is strongly tied to Wairakei

Wairakei

Wairakei is the name of a power station, small settlement and a geothermal area a few kilometres north of Taupo, in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand, on the Waikato River.- Geothermal field :...

, where the first geothermal plant was opened in 1958. At that time, it was only the second large-scale plant existing worldwide (the first being the Valle del Diavolo 'Devil's Valley' plant in Larderello

Larderello

Larderello is a frazione of the comune of Pomarance, in Tuscany in central Italy. It is a geologically active area, renowned for its geothermal productivity.- Geography :...

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

opened in 1911). Several new plants and efficiency-enhancing second-stage equipment have been added since, though there is also some loss of steam generation due to the decade-long drawdown. Some plants are therefore capped in steam extraction volumes to allow the fields to regenerate, and a percentage of the steam/water is reinjected.

The Ngawha

Ngawha geothermal field

geothermal plant was the first to come into operation via a resource consent applied for and issued under the Resource Management Act. Recent geothermal developments include an upgrade of this plant as well as the commissioning of the Kawerau Power Station in 2008.

Geothermal energy is expected to contribute an increasing proportion of the nation's electricity in the future, with several large geothermal projects underway or recently completed. The 220 MW Te Mihi Power Station

Te Mihi Power Station

The Te Mihi Power Station is a 159 MW geothermal power station being developed by Contact Energy north of Taupo in New Zealand.The resource consent for the power station was "called in" by the Minister for the Environment Trevor Mallard under the terms of the Resource Management Act...

is expected to begin operation in 2011. Recently commissioned geothermal projects include the 140 MW Nga Awa Purua Power Station and the 23 MW Te Huka Power Station, a binary plant.

Research

Considerable geothermal research expertise exists at New Zealand's Crown Research Institutes and universities. In particular, at GNS Science, Industrial Research Limited

Industrial Research Limited

Industrial Research Limited is a Crown Research Institute of New Zealand. IRL provides research, development and commercialisation services aim at fostering industry development, economic growth and business expansion...

, and the Geothermal Program at the University of Auckland

University of Auckland

The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...

. New Zealand is also one of the partner nations of the International Partnership for Energy Development in Island Nations (EDIN). As part of EDIN, New Zealand is involved in international research projects to evaluate and increase geothermal power generation domestically as well as in 18 Pacific Island nations.

Laws and regulations

Geothermal Energy Act 1953
The Geothermal Energy Act 1953 was made redundant by the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). The Geothermal Energy Act granted water rights, which have generally been replaced by RMA resource consents.

Geothermal Energy Regulations 1961
The Geothermal Energy Regulations 1961 define the role of "geothermal inspectors" and specifies processes for applications for authorities and licences.

Rotorua City Geothermal Energy Empowering Act 1967
The Rotorua City Geothermal Energy Empowering Act 1967

Rotorua City Geothermal Energy Empowering Act 1967

The Rotorua City Geothermal Energy Empowering Act 1967 is an Act to enable the Rotorua City Council to make provisions for the control of the tapping and use of geothermal energy in the city of Rotorua....

is an Act to enable the Rotorua City Council to make provisions for the control of the tapping and use of geothermal energy in the city of Rotorua

Rotorua

Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns...

.

Resource Management Act 1991
The Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) is a significant, and at times, controversial Act of Parliament passed in 1991. The RMA regulates access to natural and physical resources such as land, air and water, with sustainable use

Sustainability

Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...

of these resources being the overriding goal. New Zealand's Ministry for the Environment describes the RMA as New Zealand's principal legislation for environmental management.

The Resource Management Act is the principal legislation controlling the use of geothermal resources in New Zealand. The New Zealand Geothermal Association considers the procedures which are currently being adopted under the RMA as the single largest obstacle to further geothermal development, holding that "the regulatory process leads to long delays which impose a significant up-front cost on projects, reducing their financial viability".

List of geothermal power stations

Name	Location	Field	Operator	Capacity (MW)	Annual Generation (average GWh)	Commissioned
Kawerau (BoPE)	Kawerau, Bay of Plenty Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...	Kawerau	Bay of Plenty Energy	6.3	35	1989, 1993
Kawerau (kA24)	Kawerau, Bay of Plenty	Kawerau		8.3	70	2008
Kawerau Kawerau geothermal power station The Kawerau Power Station is a 100-megawatt geothermal power plant located just outside the town of Kawerau in the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand. The power station is situated within the Kawerau geothermal field, which is part of the Taupo Volcanic Zone. Completed in July 2008 by Mighty River... (MRP)	Kawerau, Bay of Plenty	Kawerau	Mighty River Power	100	800	2008
Mokai	northwest of Taupo Taupo Taupo is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council and lies in the southern Waikato Region....	Mokai	Mighty River Power	112	900	2000
Nga Awa Purua	north of Taupo	Rotokawa	Mighty River Power	140	1100	2010
Ngawha Ngawha geothermal field The Ngawha geothermal field is a geothermal area in the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated approximately 5 km east of Kaikohe and is centred around the village of Ngawha Springs. The field covers an area of around 25 km² and as such, is much smaller than the only other geothermal...	near Kaikohe, Northland	Ngawha	Top Energy	25	78	1998
Ohaaki Ohaaki Power Station The Ohaaki Power Station is a geothermal power station owned and operated by Contact Energy. A distinctive feature of this power station is the 105 m high natural draft cooling tower, the only one of its kind in New Zealand....	between Rotorua Rotorua Rotorua is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns... and Taupo	Ohaaki	Contact Energy Contact Energy Contact Energy Limited is a New Zealand electricity generator, natural gas wholesaler and electricity, natural gas, and LPG retailer.The company is the second-largest electricity generator in New Zealand , generating 24 percent of New Zealand's electricity in the year ending 31 December 2009, and...	70	400	1989
Poihipi Poihipi Power Station The Poihipi Power Station is a geothermal power station owned and operated by Contact Energy. It is located on Poihipi Road near Taupo in New Zealand....	north of Taupo	Wairakie	Contact Energy Contact Energy Contact Energy Limited is a New Zealand electricity generator, natural gas wholesaler and electricity, natural gas, and LPG retailer.The company is the second-largest electricity generator in New Zealand , generating 24 percent of New Zealand's electricity in the year ending 31 December 2009, and...	55	350	1997
Rotokawa Rotokawa Power Station The Rotokawa Power Station is a geothermal power station owned and operated by Mighty River Power. It is located approximately 10 km north east of Taupo in New Zealand...	north of Taupo	Rotokawa	Mighty River Power	33	210	1997
Te Huka	north of Taupo Taupo Taupo is a town on the shore of Lake Taupo in the centre of the North Island of New Zealand. It is the seat of the Taupo District Council and lies in the southern Waikato Region....	Tauhara	Contact Energy Contact Energy Contact Energy Limited is a New Zealand electricity generator, natural gas wholesaler and electricity, natural gas, and LPG retailer.The company is the second-largest electricity generator in New Zealand , generating 24 percent of New Zealand's electricity in the year ending 31 December 2009, and...	23		2010
Wairakei Wairakei Power Station The Wairakei Power Station is a geothermal power station near the Wairakei Geothermal Field in New Zealand. Wairakei lies in the Taupo Volcanic Zone.- History :...	north of Taupo	Wairakei	Contact Energy Contact Energy Contact Energy Limited is a New Zealand electricity generator, natural gas wholesaler and electricity, natural gas, and LPG retailer.The company is the second-largest electricity generator in New Zealand , generating 24 percent of New Zealand's electricity in the year ending 31 December 2009, and...	161	1310	1958, 2005

Geothermal development projects include Te Mihi

Te Mihi Power Station

and Tauhara stage 2

Tauhara Power Station

The Tauhara Power Station is a geothermal power station north of Taupo in New Zealand. Stage 2 of the project is being developed by Contact Energy and Tauhara Moana Trust.-Tahuara Stage 1:...

External links

Geothermal energy in New Zealand (from Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand
Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand is an online encyclopedia created by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage of the New Zealand Government. The project was established in 2002 and the website launched in 2005...

)