By the end of 2024, the world’s nations had added 389 MWe of geothermal capacity, bringing the global installed capacity to 16,867 MWe.
But if we look at the data, New Zealand contributed majorly to this development. According to ThinkGeoEnergy’s Geothermal Power Snapshot 2024, the year’s “largest addition was the 174 MW Tauhara II geothermal plant in New Zealand, showcasing the sector’s ability to deliver large-scale projects.”
In fact, New Zealand is the world’s fifth-largest producer of geothermal energy, with a total installed capacity of 1,207 MW.
New Zealand ranks fifth in the world's geothermal energy production
Tauhara II
Developed by Contact Energy and the Tauhara Moana Trust at a cost of approximately US$520mn, the geothermal power station at Tauhara can produce enough electricity to power around 200,000 homes. It opened in November last year.
The plant is powered by the world’s largest single-shaft geothermal turbine, featuring blades with a diameter exceeding three metres. Spinning at 3,000 revolutions per minute, the turbine's low-pressure blade tips approach the speed of sound.
Contact Energy is in the process of building its seventh geothermal power station called Te Huka 3. It is in the final stages of commissioning and is estimated to provide electricity to power 60,000 homes.
The company also announced that it will build a 101 MW geothermal plant, Te Mihi Stage 2, to replace the 1950s-built Wairakei geothermal plant.