Sitemate: Powering Construction of the Tauhara Geothermal Power Station

Contact Energy in partnership with key construction companies including Sumitomo Corporation, Fuji Electric and Naylor Love are currently building Tauhara Power Station in Taupō.

Contact has five existing geothermal power stations which use hot water and steam from inside the earth to generate electricity.  Extending the use of geothermal energy to generate power at Tauhara is an exciting, positive step further, towards New Zealand moving away from the use of fossil fuels such as coal and thereby significantly reducing the country’s carbon footprint.

Work commenced in early 2021, with the power station expected to be completed and operating toward the end of 2023.

Local company Naylor Love are the main civil contractors and commissioned ten Sitemate^® Power Systems’ products for the project.

Waikato & Bay of Plenty, Yard and Plant Manager Peter Clarkin says getting temporary power to the site was crucial with safety being paramount.

“We needed to source products that could provide safe and reliable temporary, portable power to enable the construction site to operate.  The SM16s and SM17s are the means of supplying a safe source of electricity when operating in an outdoor environment at night and when exposed to weather conditions.

The use of Sitemate^® temporary power distribution units and leads enabled electricity to be supplied safely to all points across the extensive Tauhara site allowing us to undergo the works and construction to proceed.”

Peter says the close relationship established with the team at Sitemate, great communication and efficient delivery has resulted in his continued use of Sitemate products.

“Sitemate Business Development Manager Richard Collins, first approached me about three years ago for another project. He called me and visited on site with samples. What appealed to me was the clear communication, quick, efficient turnaround and follow up. You call up, place the order and it’s there in a short timeframe. We’ve continued to purchase Sitemate products ever since because they’re reliable, the team is easy to deal with and it’s a quick turnaround. It was a stress free, problem free exercise.”

He says thoughtful product design has also aided ease of use.

“The handle design on the SM16 and 17s makes them easy to pick up and they’re light-weight, making it simple to move from one part of the job to another. Being able to get the leads printed with our company name also makes it effortless to keep track of equipment on site.”

For further information contact us on 09 282 2366 or email sales@sitematepower.co.nz