Mercury opens new $182m geothermal unit to boost New Zealand’s energy supply
Make us a preferred source
Make us a preferred source on Google
The news: New Zealand-based energy generator Mercury has opened a new unit at its Nga Tamariki Geothermal Station in New Zealand’s north island, Taupō, aimed at boosting the country’s energy supply.
The context: The NZD220 million ($182 million) expansion project was announced in 2023, with construction beginning in 2024. Mercury said the project was completed in just under two years, lifting the station’s annual average electricity generation to roughly 1120 gigawatt hours, sufficient enough to power the equivalent of all residential homes in Christchurch.
As part of the expansion, the company drilled two additional geothermal wells to supply steam to the new generation unit, as well as injecting geothermal fluid to support the reservoir’s sustainability.
Mercury also has two wind farms currently under construction, which are expected to begin generating electricity by the end of 2026.
What they said: "Geothermal is central to our long-term growth. The expansion at Nga Tamariki will help us deliver 3.5 terawatt-hour of new generation by 2030. That’s about 8% of New Zealand’s annual energy demand,” Mercury chief executive Stew Hamilton said.
“Our investments support the fastest rate of renewable generation development in New Zealand’s history. This is the best way we can help deliver affordable renewable energy and help power economic growth over the coming decades,” he added.
The source: ASX
