Rodney Power Station
Encyclopedia
The Rodney Power Station is a natural gas
fired combined cycle
power station proposed by Genesis Energy.
The power station will be located on a 48 ha site midway between Helensville
and Kaukapakapa
on State Highway 16, near the Kaipara Harbour
, north west of Auckland
. The proposed development includes substantial upgrade or replacement of the Helensville waste water treatment plant, which the local council would otherwise have to fund.
The plant is designed to use high efficiency combined cycle
gas turbine
technology to meet the increasing demand for electricity in the north Auckland region. The location will also assist to ease constraints on HV electricity transmission.
In its assessment of Transpower's
proposal to upgrade HV transmission to north of Auckland, the Electricity Commission
considered that the Rodney power station project provided a generation alternative to transmission.
The project was opposed by some local residents, Greenpeace
and the Green Party
.
Resource consents for the power station were granted by Rodney District Council in March 2009. A variation to the District Plan created a thermal energy generation rural zone between Helensville
and Kaukapakapa
.
Although resource consents and the District Plan provisions are in place, there is no intention to proceed with construction in the near future.
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
fired combined cycle
Combined cycle
In electric power generation a combined cycle is an assembly of heat engines that work in tandem off the same source of heat, converting it into mechanical energy, which in turn usually drives electrical generators...
power station proposed by Genesis Energy.
The power station will be located on a 48 ha site midway between Helensville
Helensville, New Zealand
Helensville is a town in the North Island of New Zealand. It is sited 40 kilometres northwest of Auckland, close to the southern extremity of the Kaipara Harbour. State Highway 16 passes through the town, connecting it to Waimauku 16 km to the south, and Kaukapakapa about 12 km to the...
and Kaukapakapa
Kaukapakapa
Kaukapakapa is a town in the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated in the Rodney district and is around 50 kilometres northwest of Auckland. State Highway 16 passes through the town, connecting it to Helensville about 12 km to the south-west, and Araparera about 14 km to the north....
on State Highway 16, near the Kaipara Harbour
Kaipara Harbour
Kaipara Harbour is a large enclosed harbour estuary complex on the north western side of the North Island of New Zealand. The northern part of the harbour is administered by the Kaipara District and the southern part is administered by the Rodney District...
, north west of Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
. The proposed development includes substantial upgrade or replacement of the Helensville waste water treatment plant, which the local council would otherwise have to fund.
The plant is designed to use high efficiency combined cycle
Combined cycle
In electric power generation a combined cycle is an assembly of heat engines that work in tandem off the same source of heat, converting it into mechanical energy, which in turn usually drives electrical generators...
gas turbine
Gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
technology to meet the increasing demand for electricity in the north Auckland region. The location will also assist to ease constraints on HV electricity transmission.
In its assessment of Transpower's
Transpower New Zealand Limited
Transpower New Zealand Limited is the state-owned enterprise responsible for electric power transmission in New Zealand. Transpower performs two major functions in the New Zealand Electricity Market...
proposal to upgrade HV transmission to north of Auckland, the Electricity Commission
Electricity Commission (NZ)
The New Zealand Electricity Commission was a government authority set up in 2003 to regulate the Electricity sector in New Zealand.The Commission was established under the Electricity Act to regulate the operation of the electricity industry and markets in accordance government energy policy...
considered that the Rodney power station project provided a generation alternative to transmission.
Consenting
The application for resource consents was notified for public submissions in April 2008, the Hearing held in September and consents granted in December 2008.The project was opposed by some local residents, Greenpeace
Greenpeace Aotearoa New Zealand
Greenpeace Aotearoa New Zealand is one of New Zealand's largest environmental organisations, and is a national office of the global environmental organisation Greenpeace.-History:...
and the Green Party
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand
The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand is a political party that has seats in the New Zealand parliament. It focuses firstly on environmentalism, arguing that all other aspects of humanity will cease to be of concern if there is no environment to sustain it...
.
Resource consents for the power station were granted by Rodney District Council in March 2009. A variation to the District Plan created a thermal energy generation rural zone between Helensville
Helensville, New Zealand
Helensville is a town in the North Island of New Zealand. It is sited 40 kilometres northwest of Auckland, close to the southern extremity of the Kaipara Harbour. State Highway 16 passes through the town, connecting it to Waimauku 16 km to the south, and Kaukapakapa about 12 km to the...
and Kaukapakapa
Kaukapakapa
Kaukapakapa is a town in the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated in the Rodney district and is around 50 kilometres northwest of Auckland. State Highway 16 passes through the town, connecting it to Helensville about 12 km to the south-west, and Araparera about 14 km to the north....
.
Although resource consents and the District Plan provisions are in place, there is no intention to proceed with construction in the near future.
External links
- Genesis Energy - Rodney Power Station information page