Wednesday, September 9, 2015

New Zealand: 20 MW Te Ahi O Maui Geothermal Power Plant Gets Final Approval

Green light for $120m geothermal power plant (Gisborne Herald)

Eastland Group’s planned $120 million investment in Te Ahi O Maui — a geothermal power generation development in Kawerau — has been approved by its owner the Eastland Community Trust.

All resource consent appeals surrounding the project have now been resolved and consents are in place to go ahead and build a 20 MW geothermal plant 2.3km east of Kawerau.

This new plant adds to Eastland Group’s existing activity in Kawerau — an 8.37 MWgeothermal plant bought for about $42m in early 2010.

Eastland Group chief executive Matt Todd says April 2016 is the earliest drilling would begin for the new plant and it is likely to be operational around two-and-a-half years after that.

The project is a partnership with the Kawerau A8D Whenua Trust, owners of the land where the geothermal power plant will be built.

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