New Zealand-based Contact Energy has reached a major commissioning milestone with its new Te Huka 3 geothermal power station as it has synchronised and provided power to the national grid for the first time.
At full capacity the power station will run at 51.4MW which equates to enough renewable energy to power the equivalent of 60,000 homes. During a three week testing period with Transpower, approximately 15MW will initially be fed into the grid before gradually increasing.
This period will be followed by formal generator compliance testing to Transpower’s system operator code requirements to confirm Te Huka 3 can provide electricity to the grid efficiently and safely.
Contact’s CEO Mike Fuge said “This marks a huge moment for the team at Te Huka 3, who have, for the past two years, worked tirelessly from the initial ground-breaking on site to building a fully operational renewable power station.
“[Te Huka 3] is a significant demonstration of our ability to invest, build and deliver world class assets for the benefit of all New Zealand.”
Once Transpower’s tests are completed, Contact will carry out further performance and reliability testing before the site is expected to become fully operational by the end of the year. One of the tests will include a 30-day reliability run to confirm that Te Huka 3 can run continuously and reliably at 51.4MW over a month-long period.
Fuge continued, “It is a really exciting time for geothermal energy. It has often been the unsung hero of power, but now it is really coming into its own as it plays a crucial role in New Zealand’s transition away from fossil fuels while helping to keep the lights on.”
