Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Ngāwhā geothermal project steams ahead; drilling starts soon

By Lindy Laird
Northern Advocate·
10 May, 2018 12:00 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Drain installation on the plant's newly finished platform.

Drain installation on the plant's newly finished platform.

Progress is steaming ahead on the Ngāwhā Geothermal Power Station expansion with drilling on track to start this month.

The drilling will bring the $176 million project closer to Top Energy's aim to double the existing geothermal station's 25 megawatts capacity.

The expansion could supply enough energy to power the whole of the Far North and has been described by Top Energy chief executive Russell Shaw as ''a game changer''.

The boosted capacity will radically improve the security and reliability of the power supply for the whole Northland region, Shaw said. Work started on the expansion in December.

"Our reliance on the national grid, which transports power from the south, will be substantially reduced," he said.

"Ultimately, expansion of the Ngāwhā power station could secure the region's energy independence, with clear benefits for local consumers by providing a renewable and lower cost source of generation and power."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Despite recent wet weather, good progress was made over the summer to complete the pad for the production wells.

Looking well contained, this is the foundation for Northland's greatly expanded geothermal power supply.
Looking well contained, this is the foundation for Northland's greatly expanded geothermal power supply.

Iceland Drilling, the Icelandic company contracted for the well drilling, has established a site compound and its team is ready to start drilling the first production well.

The company's HH-220 Drillmec rig arrived at Northport on April 25. A massive transport operation then took about 60 trucks over six days to get the rig to the Ngāwhā construction site.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The big rig differs from conventional types with its high level of mechanisation reducing operator input and the risk of injury. Compared with rigs of equal power and capability, it also creates a smaller carbon footprint, reducing environmental impact.

The rig will drill two production and two reinjection wells 1750m deep and 1m in diameter at the surface, reducing to 22.5cm at their deepest point.

Drilling each well is expected to take around 30-40 days of continuous 24 hour a day activity.

Whangārei-based United Civil Construction undertook the key preparatory work for the power station platform and will soon complete the reinjection well pad.

Discover more

Business

The massive numbers behind shutdown of Marden Point refinery

03 May 08:00 PM

News briefs from around Northland

09 May 08:00 PM

Opinion: Answer to Auckland's port woes just 140km north

16 May 12:00 AM
Business

Testing starts for Ngāwhā geothermal plant

24 Sep 07:00 PM

Major earthworks will continue on the platform and geothermal fluid pipe routes over two more summers, with completion scheduled for early 2020. Over 700,000cu m of dirt will be excavated overall.

Israeli geothermal plant construction expert Ormat has the task of designing, building and supplying the power station which will be commissioned in 2021.

Ormat built the original 10 megawatt station, commissioned in 1998, and the first expansion to 25 megawatts in 2008.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Business

Northern Advocate

Insulation rule changes could cut $15k from new build costs

Northern Advocate

Consumer NZ calls for action on 'shrinkflation' amid rising concerns

Northern Advocate

'It's security': Push for KiwiSaver access to aid young farmers


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Business

Insulation rule changes could cut $15k from new build costs
Northern Advocate

Insulation rule changes could cut $15k from new build costs

Northland builders welcome changes to insulation rules, easing building costs.

13 Jul 04:00 AM
Consumer NZ calls for action on 'shrinkflation' amid rising concerns
Northern Advocate

Consumer NZ calls for action on 'shrinkflation' amid rising concerns

03 Jul 05:00 PM
'It's security': Push for KiwiSaver access to aid young farmers
Northern Advocate

'It's security': Push for KiwiSaver access to aid young farmers

27 Jun 05:00 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP