Tauhara geothermal station finally opens after delays, cost increases and engineering problems

Tauhara opens after a number of headaches. (Image: Contact)

Fri, 22 Nov 2024

After a series of delays, cost increases and engineering headaches, Contact’s new geothermal power station at Tauhara formally opened on Friday.Once fully operational, the plant near Taupō will have a total capacity of 174 megawatts (MW). It is a crucial part of Contact’s plans to increase its geothermal assets.It has not been smooth sailing. When Tauhara was announced in 2021, Contact said construction would be completed in 2023 at a cost of $678 million.Construction started during the covid pandemic and took three and a half...

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