New Energy Centre At Waikato Hospital

Old Boilers Go For New Energy Centre At Waikato Hospital

Hamilton 11am, 27 April 2007 (Picture available in full res)

A new purpose-built state of the art energy centre is to be developed at Waikato Hospital’s Hamilton campus replacing three ageing coal-fired boilers.

A development agreement was signed today between Waikato District Health Board (Waikato DHB) and Greymouth Power, a New Zealand-owned and operated co-generation company.

Waikato DHB service and campus redevelopment project manager Ian Wolstencroft said the new energy centre, which would see the old coal-fired boilers replaced with the planned gas-fired installations, will result in greater energy efficiencies at the hospital and significant improvements in emergency electricity supply.

“We’ll have modern generators in place which will be good for the environment because there will be fewer emissions,” he said.

“Our current system is outdated and needs to go.”

The new energy centre will supply up to 6 MW of electricity and 6 MW of heat at any time - enough to provide all the projected electricity, hot water and steam needs for the hospital site.

Greymouth Petroleum is one of the few New Zealand owned and operated oil and gas production and exploration companies. Greymouth Power has been established by Greymouth Petroleum to develop and operate distributed generation, combined heat and power generation and co-generation facilities.

The development agreement was signed by Waikato DHB and Greymouth Petroleum chief executives, Malcolm Stamp and Mark Dunphy, in Hamilton today. Phase one of the energy centre in Pembroke Street is planned for completion by April 1, 2008.

Mr Dunphy said that phase one will consist of engine units contained within sound-proofed, modular, re-locatable facilities which will be built off site. The gas engines will be backed up by a standby power generation system. The energy centre will have the ability to expand to meet the growing needs of the hospital and will give Waikato DHB predictable energy costs for 10 years.

“When costs, environmental considerations and security of supply issues were weighed up, Greymouth’s energy centre solution was the best for Waikato DHB’s needs,” said Mr Dunphy.

“This represents an enduring, purpose-built solution for the Hamilton campus.”

“The facility will be efficient, environmentally clean, functional and provide a high level of security,” he said.

Greymouth will underpin this energy solution with access to long-term gas supplies.

Greymouth Petroleum was founded in July 2000 and now ranks second among New Zealand owned production companies. Greymouth operates both the Turangi and Kaimiro Production Station facilities, onshore near Mt Taranaki.

ENDS