The Kawerau Geothermal
Power Plant is a 100-megawattgeothermal power plant located
just outside the town ofKawerau 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 Power at a cost NZ$300 million, the plant's capacity proved greater than
expected.[1] The station is
the largest single generator geothermal plant in New Zealand.
The Kawerau Geothermal
Power Plant boosted the country's geothermal capacity by 25 percent
and significantly increased local generation capacity in the Eastern Bay of
Plenty. The plant meets approximately one third of residential and industrial
demand in the region and provides cost certainty to local industry including
Norske Skog Tasman.
The Kawerau Geothermal
Power Plant uses a single Fuji turbine and steam from geothermal
bores. The two phase fluid is flashed/separated twice to produce high and low
pressure steam to feed the turbine.
The Kawerau Geothermal
Power Plant field also supplies process steam to the Kawerau pulp and paper mill. This is used for process
and power generation. Two small binary power plants use waste hot geothermal
water for power generation.
A binary plant is also located west of the
main power station. This station uses two phase fluid from one production well,
KA24.
KAWERAU POWER STATION |
|
LOCATION |
Bay of Plenty |
OWNER |
Mighty River Power |
STATUS |
operating |
FUEL |
geothermal |
MAXIMUM CAPACITY |
100 MW |
COMMISSIONED |
2008 |