| 33 Full steam ahead with geothermal The latest TOPP2 plant is Eastland Generation’s largest geothermal project Tuwharetoa Geothermal ENERGY Released last year, the Government’s Draft Geothermal Strategy outlines a vision of New Zealand as a global leader in sustainable geothermal development, delivering innovation, resilience and inclusive growth for future generations. It presents an ambitious goal to double geothermal energy use by 2040, with momentum already fast building towards that goal. Last December, Eastland Generation announced that its new 49MW geothermal power plant, TOPP2, had successfully synchronised to New Zealand’s national grid ahead of expected full operational completion earlier this year. Eastland Generation’s diverse portfolio includes three other geothermal plants in the Bay of Plenty — Te Ahi O Maui, Geothermal Developments Ltd and TOPP1, all located on the Kawerau Geothermal Reservoir — as well as a hydro station in Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti’s first utility scale solar plant. The latest TOPP2 plant is Eastland Generation’s largest geothermal project to date. Eastland Generation developed TOPP2, an Ormat binary plant, in partnership with Ngāti Tūwharetoa Geothermal Assets Ltd, which is providing a long-term supply of geothermal heat to the station. Land is leased from Ngāti Tūwharetoa Holdings Ltd. As the largest of Eastland Generation’s four geothermal plants, TOPP2 will also be Ngāti Tūwharetoa Assets’ largest customer. Tūwharetoa Group CEO Robbie Watt praised the project as a momentous example of a unique iwi-owned and operated entity showing the way forward. “The TOPP2 project has been a seven-year journey for Tūwharetoa mai Kawerau ki te Tai to ensure the efficient and effective use of its geothermal resource to unlock future prosperity for its owners,” he said. He commended the Ngāti Tuwharetoa Geothermal Assets team and contractors involved in successfully delivering the project. Synchronising the new plant to the grid for the first time was a big day for all concerned. Eastland Generation Chief Executive Alive Pettigrew also acknowledged Ngāti Tūwharetoa Geothermal Assets for their collaborative approach and valued partnership, along with their own hardworking staff, the Ormat team and dedicated contractors. “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,” she observed at the time of the synchronisation milestone last year. The addition of TOPP2 as a fully operational plant was expected to boost Eastland Generation’s total renewable energy generation portfolio to well over 100MW. Eastland Generation is co-owned by Eastland Group and Obayashi Corporation. Headquartered in Tairāwhiti, Eastland Group is a specialist infrastructure company that also operates Eastland Port and Gisborne Airport. Eastland Group’s sole shareholder is Trust Tairāwhiti. Every year, Eastland returns millions in dividends to support regional economic development and community wellbeing. Obayashi Corporation is an international construction and engineering company with significant renewable energy development and operational experience in Asia and the Oceania region. The partnership between Eastland and Obayashi is supporting the broader mission of helping Aotearoa achieve carbon neutrality by using 100% renewable energy. New Zealand has long been a world leader in harnessing geothermal energy for electricity generation, having opened one of the world’s first geothermal plants, Wairakei, in 1958. NEW ZEALAND'S POWERHOUSE OF ELECTRICAL, INSTRUMENTATION, AUTOMATION & FIELD SERVICE SOLUTIONS Safety, quality, relationships & integrity drive us everyda Since starting as a family-owned electrical business in 1984, Wells has grown to become a New Zealand powerhouse of electrical, instrumentation, automation and field service solutions. Wells has the scale, experience and specialist know-how to take on industrial and commercial projects of any size, including in the fast-changing energy sector. Wells has a strong track record as a skilled and reliable instrumentation and electrical contractor on renewables projects, such as Contact’s large-scale geothermal steam turbine power station at Tauhara in Taupō, which opened in November 2024. Tauhara is designed to produce up to 174 megawatts (MW) of “We had 45 trades, engineers and support staff on that project and our teams worked very closely with the mechanical and civil contractors, as well as the clients project team. We were contracted to do the substation and electrical systems, control and protection systems, battery banks, power distribution centres, isolators, variable speed motors and pumps. In total, we installed 37km of electrical cable, 61km of control cable, 4km of cable tray and over 480 instruments.” Whether it’s substations, new switchboards or complex industrial installations, Wells provides a host of services to the energy sector. “We’re very Wells’ specialist team delivers key services for new TOPP 2 geothermal plant Option 1. Proudly supporting the commitment to a sustainable energy future for New Zealand. Since starting as a family-owned electrical business in 1984, Wells has grown to become a New Zealand powerhouse of electrical, instrumentation, automation and field service solutions. Wells has the scale, experience and specialist know-how to take on industrial and commercial projects of any size, including in the fast-changing energy sector. Wells has a strong track record as a skilled and reliable instrumentation and electrical contractor on renewables projects, such as Contact’s large-scale geothermal steam turbine power station at Tauhara in Taupō, which opened in November 2024. Tauhara is designed to produce up to 174 megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough for around 200,000 households. As a clean and reliable source of renewable energy, geothermal energy is set to play an ever-increasing role in meeting New Zealand’s growing demand for electricity. TOPP 2 Wells is proud to have been the main electrical and instrumentation contractor in the construction of New Zealand’s latest geothermal power plant, TOPP2, a 49MW Ormat binary plant in Kawerau, was commissioned later last year. This is Eastland Generation’s largest geothermal project to date. Projects like this require meticulous planning and coordination, says Wells CEO Justin Peterson. Wells has completed the contract work required and is pleased with the high standard and quality achieved. “We had 45 trades, engineers and support staff on that project and our teams worked very closely with the mechanical and civil contractors, as well as the clients project team. We were contracted to do the substation and electrical systems, control and protection systems, battery banks, power distribution centres, isolators, variable speed motors and pumps. In total, we installed 37km of electrical cable, 61km of control cable, 4km of cable tray and over 480 instruments.” Whether it’s substations, new switchboards or complex industrial installations, Wells provides a host of services to the energy sector. “We’re very versatile and have skillsets right across the value chain for this type of work.” Nationwide, Wells employs a 500-strong skilled and experienced team of staff and subcontractors providing instrumentation and electrical services, field service solutions, automation and control systems (design, delivery and nstallation), and customis d solution for one-off projects. Smart meter installations is anot er fast-growing are for their team. “We strive to be well-regarded and respected for what we do. As a business, we don’t focus on dollars and cents. Our focus is on health, safety and delivering consistently high-quality outcomes for clients.” CONTACT Wells T: 0800 493 557 General & Service Enquiries – go to www.wells.co.nz Wells’ specialist team delivers key services for new TOPP 2 geothermal plant NEW ZEALAND'S POWERHOUSE OF ELECTRICAL, INSTRUMENTATION, AUTOMATION & CRITICAL GENERATION. Safety, quality, relationships & integrity drive us everyday. INDEPENDENT SERVICE PROVIDER OF CHOICE PH: 0800 4 WELLS (0800 493 557) WWW.WELLS.CO.NZ • ELECTRICAL • INSTRUMENTATION • AUTOMATION & CONTROLS • FIELD SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS • EV CHARGING SOLUTIONS • CRITICAL GENERATION UPS, GENERATORS, COMPRESSORS
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