Mighty River Power takes major engineering award

MEDIA RELEASE 19 June 2009

EMBARGOED UNTIL MIDNIGHT 19 JUNE

Mighty River Power takes out major engineering award for second year

Mighty River Power made it two from two in winning the 2009 Electricity Supply Industry Engineering Excellence Award for its Kawerau Geothermal Power Station project.

The 2009 award was presented at the annual Electricity Engineers’ Association conference in Christchurch last night (Friday 19 June). The company won the award last year for its Arapuni Dam remediation project. The Kawerau Geothermal Power Station is the single largest high efficiency geothermal development in New Zealand in the last 20 years and provides 100 MW of based load generation, delivering 840 GWh’s per annum.

As part of its strategy to build a diverse generation portfolio, Mighty River Power has committed to a major geothermal exploration and development programme.

Greg Skelton, the president of the Electricity Engineers’ Association, who presented the award, says the awards publicly acknowledge the critical role the electricity industry and the engineering profession have in providing, arguably, the most important infrastructure utility to customers and society.

“In the view of the judges this project delivers excellence and innovation in the areas of engineering, sustainable development and energy efficiency,” he says.

“The outcomes in sustainable geothermal reservoir management, steam field design, co-location with major industry, innovative technology, design and construction, community participation and positive environmental impact mean that the Mighty River Power Kawerau Geothermal Power Station is a very worthy recipient of the Award.”

The project had huge local community involvement and is a partnership between Mighty River Power, local iwi, land owners and the pulp and paper industry. It made a significant contribution to the local economy and skill development programme, ongoing employment, and from an engineering capability perspective has enabled the rebuilding of New Zealand’s world renowned geothermal engineering expertise.

The project significantly contributes to Kyoto emission reduction and will reduce New Zealand’s CO2 emissions by 1.3 million tonnes by 2012.

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