Under the agreement with Mercury, the project will be an expansion of the existing 96 MW Ngatamariki geothermal power plant in operation, which was also built by Ormat in 2012
Ormat Technologies specialises in the development, manufacture, and deployment of geothermal power. (Credit: Ormat)
Ormat Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ORA), a leading renewable energy company, announced that the Company has signed new contracts with Mercury NZ Limited for the supply and Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of a new 56 MW (gross) geothermal power plant at Ngatamariki, New Zealand.
Under the agreement with Mercury, the project will be an expansion of the existing 96 MW Ngatamariki geothermal power plant in operation, which was also built by Ormat in 2012.
The new power plant will be built on the same platform as the existing power plant and once in operation with the new Ormat Energy Converter (OEC) it will have a total output of over 150 MW (gross). This development, once complete, will make the Ngatamariki facility the largest pure binary power plant in New Zealand and one of the top-5 largest globally.
Upon full operation of the Ngatamariki plant, Ormat’s advanced geothermal equipment will take the lead in powering nearly 45% of New Zealand’s geothermal energy market. Notably, when combined with Ormat’s existing geothermal power plants in the country, the Ngatamariki facilities will play a pivotal role in substantially reducing CO2 emissions throughout the region. This will be achieved through the consistent delivery of clean, reliable, and sustainable electricity to the national grid.
The new power plant will utilize Ormat’s advanced state-of-the-art organic Rankine cycle technology and is equipped with the latest turbine providing not only high efficiency and reliability, but also requiring lower maintenance. This is the third order awarded to Ormat by Mercury, who already operate the 35 MW Rotokawa and the existing four Ngatamariki units.
Doron Blachar, CEO of Ormat Technologies said, “We are thrilled to partner with Mercury for the extension of the Ngatamariki Geothermal Power Station. We have witnessed significant growth in New Zealand, and we’re proud to build upon this momentum by expanding our Ngatamariki facility. This new order now represents the second largest contract that has come out of New Zealand within the last 18 months, and we are encouraged at the rate of adoption and expansion for geothermal electricity generation in the country.
The inclusion of this new project will double the size of the expected third quarter backlog in the Company’s Products segment. With this new power plant together with Topp 2 and Tehuka projects both in progress, we believe we are in a great position to continue growing our share in the region, while simultaneously helping New Zealand continue its efforts to reduce CO2 emissions through sustainable electricity generation.”
Source: Company Press Release