Decarbonisation and sustainability

• Geothermal modelling, engineering and science
• Marine energy generation and transmission – wave and tidal
• Energy generating biomaterials
• Biofuels, including efficient production technologies, from waste products
• Hydrogen production and storage
• Wind energy and aerodynamics
• Buoyancy Vortices for generating energy from waste heat

Geothermal Institute

We have the largest group of geothermal researchers in the world and work closely with industry to build bespoke models and solutions using our world leading technology. Our consulting services have supported businesses around the world in planning, developing, and managing geothermal projects.

We have developed new geothermal modelling tools used widely in New Zealand and internationally to improve the efficiency of geothermal generation and help achieve renewable energy goals. Contact Energy Limited, for example, uses our models of the Ohaaki and Wairakei geothermal field for field management and planning, and the results have been used in renewal of resource consents for the fields.

The Geothermal Institute also runs bespoke industry training courses.
For more information, contact Di Whiting.

Reversing carbon emissions in the geothermal energy industry: A model for emission-intensive industries

We are developing new technology to reduce carbon emissions from geothermal power plants by reinjecting and mineral trapping greenhouse gases in the geothermal reservoirs where they originally came from.

Our technology is based on controlling the chemical reactions between the reinjected gases and the reservoir rock to convert the waste gases into solid form, which will be permanently stored underground. Once proven, our novel technology has the potential to be deployed to other, also more intense greenhouse gas emission sources (e.g., power production, material processing, industrial-scale forestry, and dairy).

Marine energy: empowering the growth of the aquaculture industry in Aotearoa

Climate change poses a number of challenges to the aquaculture sector, including the need to reduce waste and carbon emissions and transitioning from fossil-fuel sources of energy to renewables. This project aims to develop devices that will supply electrical energy to aquafarms by harnessing energy of waves or tidal flows available on aquafarming sites.

By contrast to most previously proposed marine energy devices, our technology will be designed to operate at calm to moderate ocean conditions, with wave heights and tidal flows found in harbour inlets used by aquafarms. Marine energy conversion is better suited to supplying electrical power to aquafarms than other renewables because of excellent colocation characteristics, low visual profile, and reduced intermittency.

Development of geothermal modelling software

As well as carrying out many modelling studies of geothermal fields, the Geothermal Institute is active in the development of modelling software. Recently we have developed Waiwera, a state-of-the-art highly parallelised reservoir simulator. We have also developed a world-first transient geothermal well bore simulator and many software tools for visualisation and model management.