Electricorp plans action

Press, 26 October 1989, Page 24

Electricorp plans action

PA Wellington The Electricity Corporation will fight the proposed Taupo private geothermal power station before the Planning Tribunal because it fears its Wairakei geothermal station will be affected. A Taupo businessman, Mr Alistair McLauchlan, and his company, Geotherm Energy, Ltd, want to build a $9O million, 40megawatt station on farmland 7km from the town. But Mr McLauchlan has been given rights to only 10,000 tonnes of geothermal fluid a day, instead of the 44,000 tonnes he

wants. He has appealed to the Planning Tribunal because the amount granted would drastically reduce the station’s generating capacity.

Electricorp is happy with the 10,000 tonnes but is concerned at the possibility of 44,000 tonnes being granted, as it believes that would affect generation from the 157 MW Wairakei geothermal station, only 10km from the Geotherm site.

Electricorp Production’s southern thermal group manager, Mr John O’Sullivan, said the corporation had lodged a technical appeal with the

Planning Tribunal. He emphasised this had not been done on competitive grounds.

“If it had been a coalfired station across the fence from us we would have no problem whatsoever.” Geotherm had been told by the Waikato Catchment Board to reinject the fluids on its own site of I.2sq km. Electricorp believed that if Geotherm was granted a greater quantity of fluids it would have problems with reinjection because of its small site and might have to reinject in another part of the

Wairakei field. Reinjection is done to keep the pressures in the field high, extending its life. Mr O’Sullivan said technical and scientific evidence obtained by Electricorp conflicted with Geotherm’s advice.

Geotherm already has planning approval from the Taupo District Council and interim water rights from the Waikato Catchment Board.

It is now awaiting a geothermal licence from the Minister of Energy, Mr Butcher, who has received a report on the application.