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Download AudioTai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis says the expanded Ngāwhā geothermal power station coming to full production is great news for the north.
Mr Davis cut the ribbon on the expanded plant last week, which is now up to its full 57 MegaWatt capacity – a far cry from the experimental 8MW station built in the 1990s in a joint venture between Top Energy and Tai Tokerau Māori Trust Board.
While the board no longer has a stake in the complex, Mr Davis says Top Energy has maintained good relations with tangata whenua, especially local iwi Ngāti Rangi.
He says the new station can generate enough power for Northland’s needs and has already resulted in lower bills with customers not having to pay line charges to bring power from the south.
"It's good all around – that on top of redevelopments to the Ngāwhā Hot Springs, things are looking up for that part of the north. There is also the industrial estate being developed across the road from the Ngāwhā turn-off, that is going to create hundreds of jobs, so there is a lot happening and it is good news for Kaikohe," Mr Davis says.
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