New Zealand's Energy Security Boosted As Contact Opens New Geothermal Power Station

• Contact Energy’s geothermal power station at Tauhara will provide 3.5 percent of the country’s electricity - enough to power around 200,000 Kiwi homes.
• The new geothermal power station will, at its peak, produce up to 174 megawatts (MW) of renewable electricity.
• One of the most significant infrastructure projects completed in recent times, the $924 million investment will help provide long-term security to New Zealand’s energy supply.
• The geothermal power station at Tauhara was officially opened today (Friday 22 November) by Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister.

The official opening of Contact’s newest geothermal power station at Tauhara, near Taupō by Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister today [Friday 22 November 2024] marks one of New Zealand’s most significant infrastructure investments of recent times.

When running at peak, the $924 million geothermal power station will bolster the country’s energy supply by providing long-term generation of 174MW of renewable energy, which is around 3.5 percent of the country’s electricity. This is enough to power around 200,000 Kiwi households, more than the population of Hamilton.

Contact’s CEO Mike Fuge says the opening of the country’s newest geothermal power station was a watershed moment for Contact and the decarbonisation of the country.

“It’s a red-letter day for New Zealand’s transition to a renewable energy future and a welcome addition to the country’s energy supply,” says Mr Fuge.

“Our new geothermal power station at Tauhara, demonstrates Contact’s continued ability to invest, build and deliver world-class assets for the benefit of all New Zealanders. Geothermal energy plays a crucial role in creating a reliable supply of electricity. It’s also where New Zealand leads the way with technology and ingenuity, so it’s exciting to expand our fleet of geothermal assets as well as to have two more geothermal power stations on the way.”

The opening of Tauhara power station comes a week after Contact announced it will build a new 101MW geothermal plant, Te Mihi Stage 2, as the first step in replacing its 1950s-built Wairakei geothermal plant. Contact’s seventh geothermal power station, Te Huka 3 is in the final stages of commissioning and will generate enough renewable electricity to power 60,000 homes.

With construction starting during the COVID-19 pandemic, the geothermal power station at Tauhara took three and a half years to build. It began providing renewable energy to the grid on 6 May 2024 and has been operating at 160 MW continuously.

The unsung hero of energy production, geothermal power stations like this one at Tauhara will help ensure New Zealand has a more reliable supply of renewable electricity as they can operate constantly, whatever the weather.

In addition, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise’s (MBIE) Energy Quarterly reportnotes geothermal generation reached a record high of 2143 GWh generated between April and June in 2024, with a fifth (19%) of the country’s energy coming from geothermal sources during the autumn months.

Key facts about Contact’s geothermal power station at Tauhara

• 174MW at full capacity
• 3.5 percent of New Zealand’s electricity, enough to power 200,000 homes
• 500,000 tonnes per year of CO2 emissions expected to be displaced, equivalent to removing 220,000 petrol cars from our roads
• $924 million investment
• Three and a half years to construct
• 2.65 million work hours by 4,001 people from 27 countries

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