What a milestone!
On 3 December our new geothermal power plant, TOPP2, successfully synchronised to the national grid for the first time. As our Chief Executive Alice Pettigrew said, "it was a big day for us all to have the megawatts flowing".
The 49MW Ormat binary plant is a unique project developed by Eastland Generation together with Ngati Tuwharetoa Geothermal Assets Ltd., who are providing a long-term supply of geothermal heat to the station. TOPP2 is the largest of Eastland Generation's four geothermal power plants and will be Ngati Tuwharetoa Geothermal Assets' biggest customer.
Tuwharetoa Group CEO Robbie Watt stated, "The TOPP2 project has been a seven-year journey for Tuwharetoa mai Kawerau ki te Tai to ensure the efficient and effective use of its geothermal resource to unlock future prosperity for its owners. This is a momentous example of a unique Iwi owned and operated entity showing the way forward."
He also commended the Ngati Tuwharetoa Geothermal Assets team and contractors involved on the successful delivery of the project.
"We would like to acknowledge Ngati Tuwharetoa Geothermal Assets for their collaborative approach and valued partnership," added Ms Pettigrew. "We also want to thank our staff, the Ormat team, and all our contractors for their hard work and dedication, as we achieve this critical step.
"There's still a way to go to complete all commissioning requirements and the handover. We expect TOPP2 to be fully operational early in the new year. "With the government aiming to double geothermal energy use by 2040, TOPP2 will soon be playing its part in supporting Aotearoa's renewable energy output and resilience."
