Genesis Energy ignites energy efficient powerhouse

Genesis Energy ignites energy efficient powerhouse

Genesis Energy’s Energy Efficiency Enhancement Project, Huntly e3p, came to life early this week with the first firing of its gas turbine.

The first firing was followed today (2 February) by the synchronisation of the 385MW Mitsubishi model M701F gas turbine to the national electricity grid. Huntly e3p will now undergo commissioning and performance tests culminating in a 30-day reliability run at full load. The plant is planned to be running at full output by winter of 2007.

“It is timely for Huntly e3p to be coming on stream now,” said Murray Jackson, Chief Executive, Genesis Energy. “Winter of 2006 saw an unprecedented demand for electricity and e3p will increase security of supply through the 2007 winter.

“Genesis Energy is committed to building new high efficiency generating plant and this means taking into account what impact our operations have on our environment,”said Mr Jackson. “Huntly e3p will reduce Genesis Energy’s carbon footprint by displacing high CO2 emitting coal-fired generation.”

Genesis Energy’s investment of $520 million in Huntly e3p has further diversified the company’s generation portfolio which includes Huntly Power Station, the Tongariro Hydro and Waikaremoana Power Schemes in the Central North Island and Hau Nui wind farm in the Wairarapa. A new 240MW combined cycle gas turbine plant is under development by Genesis Energy at Helensville.

Huntly e3p is the largest new power station to be built in New Zealand since 1999 and will go a long way towards meeting the annual growth in national demand for electricity. It will provide enough electricity to power up to 300,000 new homes and will provide a reliable supply to Genesis Energy’s and subsidiary Energy Online’s 585,000 electricity customers.

The combined cycle gas turbine will achieve 56 per cent efficiency and is fuelled on natural gas sourced from the on-shore and off-shore gas fields of Taranaki. Genesis Energy has a wide portfolio of gas supply contracts for e3p and, in time, the supply for the new plant will include the Kupe Gas Project, currently in development in Taranaki.

ENDS