Nga Awa Purua Power Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nga Awa Purua Power Station |
|
|---|---|
| Country | New Zealand |
| Location | north of Taupo |
| Coordinates | 38°36′51″S 176°11′02″E / 38.61417°S 176.18389°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | May 2008 |
| Commission date | May 2010 |
| Construction cost | NZ$430 million |
| Owner(s) | Mercury Energy / Tauhara North No. 2 Trust joint venture |
| Operator(s) | Mercury Energy |
| Website Nga Awa Purua - Mercury Energy |
|
Nga Awa Purua, also known as Rotokawa II, is a large geothermal power station. It is located near Taupo in New Zealand. This power station was built by Mighty River Power, which is now called Mercury Energy.
Nga Awa Purua is New Zealand's second biggest geothermal power station. It also has the largest geothermal turbine in the world. This means it uses heat from deep inside the Earth to make a lot of electricity.
Contents
What is Geothermal Power?
Geothermal energy comes from the Earth's natural heat. Deep underground, there is very hot water and steam. Power stations like Nga Awa Purua drill wells to reach this heat.
How Nga Awa Purua Works
At Nga Awa Purua, engineers drilled 10 wells. These wells go down about 2,500 metres (that's 2.5 kilometres!). The hot steam and water from these wells are brought to the surface. This steam then spins a giant machine called a turbine. The spinning turbine powers a generator, which creates electricity.
The power station can produce 140 megawatts (MW) of electricity. This is enough to power many homes and businesses. It generates about 1,100 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity each year.
Who Owns Nga Awa Purua?
The Nga Awa Purua power station is a joint project. It is owned by two groups working together. Mercury Energy owns 75% of the power station. The Tauhara North No 2 Trust owns the remaining 25%. This Trust represents about 800 owners who are part of the Ngati Tahu people.
Building and Opening
The project cost about NZ$430 million to build. Construction started in May 2008. The power station first began making electricity on January 18, 2010. New Zealand's Prime Minister at the time, John Key, officially opened it on May 15, 2010.
Nearby Power Stations
Another geothermal power station, the Rotokawa Power Station, is located very close to Nga Awa Purua. They both use the same natural heat source from underground.
