Geothermal Power Plants in New Zealand
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Kawerau New Location: Bay of Plenty Operator: Mighty River Power Co Configuration: 1 X 90 MW Operation: 2008 T/G supplier: Fuji EPC: Sumitomo Quick facts: This was New Zealand's largest geothermal project in 20yrs and cost NZ$300mn. Construction began in Jan 2007 and the plant was connected in Aug 2008, under budget and about 6wks ahead of schedule. The generator is connected to a 6-well steam field by an 8km pipeline
Photograph courtesy of Mighty River Power |
McLachlan Location: NZ Operator: Mercury Energy Configuration: 1 X 55 MW Operation: 1996 T/G supplier: Fuji EPC: SMEC-HGEM Photograph
by David Neale
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Mokai Location: NZ Operator: Mighty River Power Co Configuration: 1 X 32 MW BP, 6 X 6 MW binary Operation: 2000 T/G supplier: GE, Ormat EPC: Ormat Quick facts: The Mokai field is a deep, high temperature resource 25km northwest of Taupo. In 1996, the Tuaropaki Trust purchased the Crown’s interests and decided to develop the geothermal field. The binary units were installed to utilize the hot brine flow and their motive fluid is pentane.
Photograph courtesy of Ormat |
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Ohaaki Location: NZ Operator: Contact Energy Ltd Configuration: 2 X 11 MW, 2 X 50 MW Operation: 1989 T/G supplier: EE, MHI, GEC Quick facts: Production wells at Ohaaki are, on average, 1.2km deep and reach water at temperatures up to 280°C. The most distinctive feature at Ohaaki is the 105m cooling tower. Photograph by Andrew
McCabe
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Wairakei Location: NZ Operator: Contact Energy Ltd Configuration: 6 X 11 MW, 3 X 30 MW, 2 X 8 MW Operation: 1959-2005 T/G supplier: GEC, Ormat Quick facts: Wairakei is situated above a large geothermal resource containing water at temperatures up to 240°C. Currently, about 5,000 tph of fluid is taken from the reservoir, of which 1,500 tph is steam-equivalent and 3,500 tph is hot water. Dry steam is also taken from shallow production wells (up to 500m depth) and used directly. The once through cooling system uses water from the adjacent Waikato River. Outgases are released via gas stacks on the power station roof while hot geothermal water is discharged into a system of drains leading to the Waikato River or is re-injected. Two binary sets commissioned in 2005 increased generation by 10% and utilized heat energy previously untapped
Photograph courtesy of Origin Energy Ltd |
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Abbreviations: BP = back-pressure, EE = English Electric, GE = General Electric, GEC = General Electric Co (UK), MHI = Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, T/G = turbine/generator, tph = tons per hour
Data: industcards, Platts UDI World Electric Power Plants Data Base
Updated 02/18/09