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Infrastructure Unit
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Infrastructure: Facts and Issues: Towards the First National Infrastructure Plan

Electricity

308. Investment in generation (notably wind and gas electricity) is growing steadily. The table below shows current planned investment in generation, and the graphic shows actual and forecast growth in total generation capacity:

Year Plant/Location Owner/Operator Fuel Capacity
        MW GWh
2009 West Wind Meridian Wind 143 573
  Te Rere Hau (2,3) NZ Windfarms Wind 31 117
  Benmore upgrade Meridian Hydro 11 50
2010 Nga Awa Purua Mighty River Power Geothermal 132 1099
  Stratford OCGT Stratford Gas 200 438
  Tauhara binary Contact Geothermal 19 158
2011 Titiokura Unison/Roaring 40s Wind 48 139
2012 Geo 1 * Confidential Geothermal 80 666
  Hawea  gates * Contact Hydro 17 66
2013 Geo 2 * Confidential Geothermal 80 666
  Te Mihi * Contact Geothermal 60 450
2014 Tauhara * Contact Geothermal 225 1235

* Plant may be delayed depending on demand.

Source: Ministry of Economic Development/Electricity Commission 2009 (based on information supplied by generation companies)

Total capacity additions Capacity
  MW GWh
Total capacity additions  (1080 GWh per annum average)  2183 11879
Total capacity additions excluding Whirinaki (1049 GWh per annum average)  2028 11540

Source: Ministry of Economic Development/Electricity Commission 2009 (based on information supplied by generation companies)

Generation Capacity
Generation Capacity.
Source: The Treasury using Ministry of Economic Development data 2009 *Does not include Co-generation

309. Transpower is refreshing its National Grid Strategy with the development of “Transmission 2040”. This outlines how Transpower is thinking of developing the national grid over the next 40 years. The Annual Planning report also indicates that Transpower is now taking a more long-term view in relation to its approach to investment in the network, with major upgrades announced to the North Island’s grid. See the following figures for a national summary of new committed or proposed projects.

Transmission capital expenditure
Transmission capital expenditure.
Source: Transpower
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