Mercury: the wind, the rain and the rejig

The ageing Karāpiro dam has been getting a makeover. (Image: Mercury)

Mon, 21 Aug 2023

Mercury’s annual result was dominated by wind and rain driving up generation, while the outlook was for new generation and, in particular, refurbishing existing plants.The wet year meant record inflows, resulting in 5,209 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of hydro generation, 28% higher than usual. The company spilt more than 1,000 GWh worth of water during the year to keep lake levels within their consented operating limits.Mercury generated 1,471 GWh through wind farms, an increase of 16%, with all its turbines at Turitea in Manawatū now fully...

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