Genesis adds gas turbine

By CHRIS DANIELS

State-owned power company Genesis is buying a new gas-fired turbine to generate more energy at its Huntly power station in time for next winter.

The new turbine will generate 40MW of electricity, adding to the capacity of the existing Huntly station, New Zealand's largest thermal plant, which can generate 1000MW.

Known as an open-cycle turbine, the machine is similar to a big jet engine used to power large aircraft.

Chief executive Murray Jackson said the new resource consents, relating to noise and air emissions, would be needed before it was installed.

Gas from existing supply contracts would fuel the new turbine, said Jackson, so there would be no need to buy more.

He would not be drawn on how much the new machine would cost. The increased demand for power, regardless of drought, meant three or four of these smaller machines were needed, he said.

Power generated by this new turbine would be used as "baseload capacity" rather than reserve in the event of a dry year.

Jackson said it would also give Genesis some experience in the technology most suited for "embedded generation" - where smaller power stations were built closer to areas of high demand.

It was a purely business decision to build the new plant, said Jackson, and not part of any Government pressure to get more electricity generated.

It would not delay the building and commissioning of Genesis' new, 365MW combined-cycle gas turbine station, also at Huntly, expected to come into operation in 2006.

He said the turbine would be supplied pre-packaged by the manufacturer and, once erected, would have little visual impact on the Huntly site.

The new turbine will operate at 41 per cent efficiency on gas, compared with Huntly's 36 per cent efficiency.

Jackson and Genesis have faced criticism from the Government and other sectors of the power industry for not ensuring the Huntly station had enough coal stockpiled for use in the event of a dry winter.

In past years, thermal power generators, such as the Huntly station, could draw down heavily on the depleting Maui gasfield to supplement the generation lost from the South Island hydro stations.

With that amount of gas no longer available, Genesis was forced to burn large amounts of coal at Huntly. It has resorted to importing coal from Indonesia and Australia to keep up its stockpile levels.