Mighty River Power to Add 45MW Gas Turbine to Auckland Cogeneration Plant

Electricity company Mighty River Power has purchased a 45MW gas turbine and generator to be installed alongside its existing gas powered Southdown cogeneration plant in Auckland by the end of the year.

The company says its new generator will increase the generation station’s total capacity from 125MW to 170MW.

Like the existing plant, the generator will not run as a base load machine being dispatched only when the market warrants. The expanded Southdown plants flexibility will be complementary to renewable but unpredictable generation such as wind and hydro.

Mighty River Power chief executive, Doug Heffernan, says the new gas turbine is part of the company’s ongoing investment in new generation capacity to help meet the country’s growing energy requirements.

Mighty River Power is currently exploring for natural gas in Taranaki as a 50% partner with Swift Energy in the Tarata thrust exploration where the Goss and Trapper wells are being drilled as part of the partnership’s programme.

In addition to the new capacity at Southdown, Mighty River Power is investigating a variety of other generation opportunities including wind, thermal and small hydro. Recently the company received resource consents to build a 70-80MW geothermal plant at Kawerau in the Bay of Plenty.

Source: Mighty River Power press release