Tauhara Geothermal Power Project Drilling Campaign
Contact Energy expanding renewable energy sources with Tauhara Geothermal power station
SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGE
Energy Transition
Story Highlights
Relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
SDG Goal 1
No Poverty
End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
SDG Goal 2
Zero Hunger
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
SDG Goal 3
Good Health and Well-Being
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
SDG Goal 4
Quality Education
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
SDG Goal 5
Gender Equality
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
SDG Goal 6
Clean Water and Sanitation
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
SDG Goal 7
Affordable and Clean Energy
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.
SDG Goal 8
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full employment, & decent work for all.
SDG Goal 9
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization & foster innovation.
SDG Goal 10
Reduced Inequalities
Reduce inequality within and among countries.
SDG Goal 11
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
SDG Goal 12
Responsible Consumption and Production
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
SDG Goal 13
Climate Action
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
SDG Goal 14
Life Below Water
Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
SDG Goal 15
Life on Land
Sustainably manage ecosystems, combat desertification, reverse land degradation, & halt biodiversity loss.
SDG Goal 16
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Foster peaceful & inclusive societies, ensure justice access, & build effective, accountable institutions at all levels.
SDG Goal 17
Partnerships for the Goals
Strengthen the means of implementation & revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
UTILIZED SOFTWARE
Leapfrog Geothermal, Seequent Central
LOCATION
New Zealand
ORGANIZATION/COMPANY
Contact Energy
PROJECT SUMMARY
As part of Contact Energy’s commitment to expanding their portfolio of renewable energy sources, the organization recently completed the 174-megawatt Tauhara Geothermal power station, their sixth in the Central North Island area. The NZD 818 million project uses geothermal production and injection wells to connect the geothermal reservoirs with the station itself. To efficiently target the reservoirs, which are between 1.7 kilometers to 3 kilometers below the surface, Contact Energy used applications from Seequent, the Bentley subsurface company, to fully visualize geological data in a 3D space. With a full understanding of the area, Contact Energy drilled multiple wells from the same location, resulting in a smaller environmental footprint. Now operational, the power station eliminates over 500,000 tons of carbon emissions per year and generates 12% of New Zealand’s electricity.