HOW IS THERMAL ENERGY USED IN

NEW ZEALAND?

Thermal energy plays a key role in supplying

New Zealand’s electricity.

Genesis Energy’s Huntly Power Station is the

country’s largest power station. It has six

separate generating units: four conventional

boiler and turbine units that can burn coal

or gas and that each generate 250 MW of

power, one gas-­red turbine generating

48 MW and a 385 MW combined cycle gas

turbine (a 250 MW gas turbine plus a 135 MW

steam turbine) – a total capacity of 1433 MW.

Huntly is capable of producing nearly 13 TWhr

(13 million MWhr) of energy each year – about

20% of New Zealand’s electricity requirements.

Other fossil-fuel burning power stations are

located in Auckland, Taranaki and Hawke’s

Bay. New Zealand is a pioneer in the use of

geothermal energy. Wairakei is the oldest

operational geothermal power station in the

world. New Zealand’s other geothermal

power stations are all in the Taupo Volcanic

Zone and the Northland geothermal ­eld.

In total they account for 635 MW or nearly

7% of our generating capacity.

Pablo