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When did geothermal energy start in New Zealand?
Why is geothermal power important in New Zealand?
When did geothermal power start?
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When did geothermal power come to Wairakei?
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According to one telling of Māori tradition, the geothermal fields in the central North Island were created when Te Pupu and Te Hoata, goddesses of fire, emerged from the Earth’s core in search of Ngātoroirangi (a powerful high priest), who had been stranded freezing on Mt Tongariro.
Geothermal energy use in New Zealand is strongly tied to Wairakei, where the first geothermal plant was opened in 1958. At that time, it was only the second large-scale plant existing worldwide (the first being the Valle del Diavolo 'Devil's Valley' plant in Larderello, Italy opened in 1911). [7]
Aug 9, 2023 · The first use of geothermal energy in New Zealand was by central North Island Māori for heating, cooking and therapeutic purposes. European settlers arriving in New Zealand discovered the charm and healing benefits of thermal springs, and a number of spa baths were set up in the Rotorua area from about 1870.
New Zealand has been in a period of consolidation in the geothermal electricity sector over the last 5 years following a period of rapid growth in the utilization of geothermal energy in the prior 10 years. Two smaller power plants are in the process of being constructed or recently commissioned.
Geothermal energy is an important renewable energy source for New Zealand, providing around 18% of our electricity. In addition, geothermal energy is also directly used for industrial process heat, space heating and water heating.
New Zealand is a world leader in the exploration and development of geothermal energy both for electric power production and direct-use applications. The pioneering development of two-phase geothermal systems started in Wairakei in the early 1950s.
Jan 22, 1998 · Wairakei, 9 km to the north of Taupo and first commissioned in 1959, was the first major geothermal power station in New Zealand. The Wairakei geothermal field consists of a pumiceous pyroclastic reservoir underlain by ignimbrites and capped by lacustrine mudstone.
