Ngatamariki Geothermal Power consents granted

Ngatamariki Geothermal Power consents granted

Mighty River Power and the Tauhara North No. 2 Trust say they are delighted to have resource consents approved for the construction and operation of the Ngatamariki Geothermal Power Station.

The consent application for the proposed 110MW power station, north-east of Taupo, was lodged in November 2009 by the Rotokawa Joint Venture Ltd, a commercial partnership between Mighty River Power and the Tauhara North No.2 Trust. The Joint Venture has also developed the nearby Nga Awa Purua Geothermal Power Station which will be officially opened this weekend.

The consents were granted today by a joint Environment Waikato/Taupo District Council hearing committee. They are subject to appeal until 3 June 2010. Groundwork on the $400 million project is expected to start before the end of the year so that the power station is providing energy in time for winter 2013.

Mighty River Power Chief Executive, Doug Heffernan, says the Ngatamariki Geothermal Power Station will have significant benefits not only for New Zealand in terms of additional renewable, reliable electricity production, but also for the wider Taupo community in terms of the local benefits of such a major construction project.

“This will be the third major geothermal power station Mighty River Power will have built over five years – the second with the Tauhara North No.2 Trust. It really underscores our commitment to geothermal energy development in New Zealand and the pace at which we are developing our domestic geothermal development programme.”

“Once commissioned in 2013, Ngatamariki will take us – in partnership with our Maori Land Trust partners – close to operating 500MW of geothermal electricity enough power to supply half a million households.”

Mighty River Power commissioned the 100MW Kawerau Geothermal Power Station in September 2008 and this week Prime Minister John Key opens the 140MW Nga Awa Purua Geothermal Power Station – also a joint venture with the Tauhara North No.2 Trust. The company also owns the 34MW Rotokawa station in a further joint venture partnership with the Tauhara North No.2 Trust.

Mr Heffernan says that the experience and capability that the company has built up in the course of these projects was now recognised globally, and had opened up opportunities internationally for Mighty River Power in association with its partner GeoGlobal Energy (GGE). However, he emphasised that the company would continue - with a range of prospective partners - to pursue additional domestic opportunities such as Ngatamariki.

Aroha Campbell, Chief Executive of the Tauhara North No. 2 Trust, says the Trust is delighted to be involved with another geothermal power station project with Mighty River Power.

“In the long-term, the success of these projects will have significant economic benefits for the Trust’s shareholders and future generations,” says Ms Campbell.

Mr Heffernan says over the past six years Mighty River Power’s capital expenditure had been more than $1 billion – with the bulk of that going towards its domestic geothermal development programme.

He says that around 14 per cent of New Zealand’s electricity supply now came from geothermal energy. This proportion has more than doubled since 2005. Mighty River Power also operates the 113MW Mokai Geothermal Power Station on the Mokai geothermal field 30kms northwest of Taupo, for the Tuaropaki Power Company.

ENDS

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