Kaitiaki of the taonga for future generations.
Kaitiakitanga
We use the best information we have available to ensure that our operations are consistent with our role as kaitiaki of the ngaawha, the awa, and the taiao.
Our operational decisions are the best combination of scientific, commercial and maatauranga Maori (knowledge) to ensure that our operations reflect our values.
Ngaawha
We actively participate in the development and implementation of the Kawerau System Management Plan, the living document that guides the sustainable management of the Kawerau Geothermal System.
Our operations also use and invest in a state-of-the-art reservoir numerical simulation model to analyse the reservoir sustainability of our current and future operations.
We continue to invest in our assets to ensure that they are reliable, safe to operate and able to adapt to the evolving reservoir.
Awa
The geothermal ngaawha is closely intertwined with the Tarawera River and the Ruuruanga Stream, with geothermal fluids naturally seeping and flowing into the river.
At present, we manage our freshwater use to ensure that we only take what is needed and share the resources with others.
We also manage the outflow and mixing of geothermal water into the Tarawera River from the West lagoon and the serpentine cooling channel by ensuring that the volume, temperature and chemistry of geothermal in the river are consistent with environmental guidelines.
Emissions
Our operations mainly release steam or water vapour into the atmosphere. The steam carries small amounts of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) that were naturally dissolved in the geothermal water and bubbles out of solution as the hot water boils when conveyed to the surface.
We closely monitor our greenhouse gas emissions and we have observed that this decreases with time.
The equivalent amount of CO2 in our geothermal steam is around 0.0194 ton per ton of steam or around 10% of the CO2 released when steam is produced by boiling water using natural gas as fuel.
Community reports
Read the latest summary of our community reports describing our compliance to our various resource consent conditions.