Otahuhu Power Station

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Otahuhu Power Station

Otahuhu Power Station's 404MW combined cycle turbine. Also known as Otahuhu B.
Location of Otahuhu Power Station
Country New Zealand
Location Otahuhu, Auckland
Coordinates 36°57.072′S 174°51.923′E / 36.951200°S 174.865383°E / -36.951200; 174.865383Coordinates: 36°57.072′S 174°51.923′E / 36.951200°S 174.865383°E / -36.951200; 174.865383
Status Operating
Commission date 2000[1]
Owner(s) Contact Energy
Power station
Primary fuel Natural Gas
Generation units Siemens V94.3A(2)
Power generation
Maximum capacity 404 MW[2]

The Otahuhu power station site is located in Otara, Auckland and holds two plants; Otahuhu A (open cycle gas turbines, now synchronous compensation) and Otahuhu B (a 404 MW combined cycle). It also is the site for the proposed Otahuhu C power station. The station is owned and operated by Contact Energy.

Otahuhu A (OTG)

The first generating units at Otahuhu were open cycle gas turbine Stal-Laval units, commissioned in 1968. The plant comprised four 45MW gas turbine units.[3]

In 1978, a further two generating units were added, twin pack units using Rolls Royce Olympus gas turbines.[4]

The Otahuhu A gas turbines were retired from service by the late 1990s. The generators remain in use in synchronous compensate duty, providing reactive power to the grid.

Otahuhu B (OTC)

The combined cycle plant was commissioned in January 2000.[1] This natural gas fired plant comprises a Siemens V94.3A(2) gas turbine in single shaft configuration. The HRSG is unfired triple pressure with reheat. Steam cycle cooling is by a hybrid wet - dry cooling tower, using sea water makeup.

At commissioning, the plant capacity was 385 MW. In 2005, upgrades to plant components (including the gas turbine compressor) resulted in an increase of plant capacity to approximately 404 MW.[2]

Otahuhu C

The Otahuhu C power station is a proposal for a 400MW combined cycle power station. Resource consents were granted by Auckland Regional Council for the plant in 2001, but construction has never commenced.

In 2002, the Environmental Defence Society (EDS) appealed the resource consents. EDS argued that the predicted annual emissions of 1.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide would contribute to climate change via the greenhouse effect and that the consent conditions should require complete carbon offsetting by planting of new forests. The Environment Court agreed with the scientific consensus on anthropogenic climate change and concluded that the proposed CO2 emissions would be an "adverse effect of some consequence". The court declined to impose the forest offsetting condition due to concerns over its "efficacy, appropriateness and reasonableness". [5]

In December 2002, Contact announced it was postponing the construction of the Otahuhu-C plant because of possible future insecurities of gas supply related to the expected depletion of the Maui gas field.[6] In 2007, Contact said it would still be deferring a decision on the project as it was giving priority to renewable generation.[7] CEO David Baldwin indicated that new generation growth would come primarily from new geothermal capacity. Also the Otahuhu C proposal should wait for the Government's intentions to adopt a market-based carbon pricing system to become clear. Baldwin still considered the Otahuhu C proposal was the most efficient gas-fired proposal in New Zealand and that it could help reduce emissions if it replaced less efficient coal generation.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Energy in New Zealand 2013". MBIE. September 2013. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Thermal electricity brochure - Otahuhu B CCGT". Contact Energy. 2007. pp. 5/6. Retrieved 23 November 2009. 
  3. ↑ "Otahuhu Gas-turbine Station". New Zealand Engineering (Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand): 326–328. 15 October 1969. 
  4. ↑ Dark, Vernon; Turner, Michael; MacDonald, Stuart (15 July 1978). "Gas turbines for electricity generation". New Zealand Engineering (Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand): 146–150. 
  5. ↑ Environmental Defence Society (Incorporated) v Auckland Regional Council and Contact Energy A183/2002 NZEnvC 315;NZRMA 492;(2003) 9 ELRNZ 1 (6 September 2002)
  6. ↑ Ritchie, Neil (13 December 2002). "Contact urge rapid gas development". Energy News Bulletin. Retrieved 30 August 2012. 
  7. ↑ "Contact unveils Waikato wind farm" (Press release). Contact Energy. 16 October 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2012. "Mr Baldwin said Contact is continuing to defer investment decisions on its consented 400 MW Otahuhu C gas-fired power station in order to focus on renewable generation." 
  8. ↑ "Contact outlines $2 billion renewable generation" (Press release). Contact Energy. 23 February 2007. 

External links

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