Goro power station
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Goro power station is an operating power station of at least 100-megawatts (MW) in Goro, Le Mont-Dore Municipality, Sud, New Caledonia.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Goro power station | Goro, Le Mont-Dore Municipality, Sud, New Caledonia | -22.33025, 166.912206 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2: -22.33025, 166.912206
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal: unknown | 50 | subcritical | 2008 | 2025 (planned) |
| Unit 2 | operating | coal: unknown | 50 | subcritical | 2008 | 2025 (planned) |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Prony Énergies SAS [100%] | ENERCAL SA [75.0%]; ENGIE SA [25.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Prony Énergies SAS [100%] | ENERCAL SA [75.0%]; ENGIE SA [25.0%] |
Background
Goro power station is a two-unit coal-fired power plant with a total capacity of 100 MW. The plant was completed in 2008.[1][2][3]
Ownership
As of 2004, the power station owner, Prony Énergies, was 75% owned by ENERCAL (Société Neo-Calédonienne d'Energie, or New Caledonian Electrical Company) and 25% by Elyo (part of the French Suez group, now Engie).[4][5][6][7]
Nickel Plant
The Goro nickel processing plant is the world’s fourth-largest nickel ore producer. It is a key economic driver for New Caledonia, but has had a difficult history, benighted by protests, arson attacks, and environmental[8] damage. It also struggled to make money for its owner, Vale, despite millions in investment. In 2020, Vale announced it had signed a binding agreement to sell the operation to an international consortium, Prony Resources, which included a 25% stake from controversial Swiss-based commodity trader Trafigura. However, Indigenous Kanak leaders and pro-independence parties supported a bid led by local company Sofinor they said was unfairly disregarded by the processing plant’s owners and the French government.[9]
In March 2021, a final agreement was sealed to transfer the plant to Prony Resources, in which Caledonian communities, employees, and traditional actors hold 51% of the capital. More specifically, three New Caledonian provinces holds 30%, customary players 9% via an environmental preservation fund, and employees 12%. The Swiss commodity brokerage group Trafigura holds 19% alongside the New Zealand fund AJO (30%).[10]
Retirement discussions
In late 2021, the company's CEO said the following about what appeared to be the Goro power station (Google Translate): "Not a single electron will be produced in our power plant by coal by 2025. We will build the largest solar farm in the Pacific, with 300,000 panels installed on 150 hectares."[11]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ Goro Powerplant, Enipedia, accessed September 2015
- ↑ Goro Nickel - New Caledonia, Oral Engineering, accessed July 21, 2021
- ↑ Form 8K: Inco Limited, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) Filing, October 29, 2004
- ↑ Prony Energies, Fiche référencée OEIL, accessed July 21, 2021
- ↑ Production thermique, ENERCAL, accessed July 21, 2021
- ↑ New Caledonia: power plant, Stainless Steel World Publisher, August 31, 2004
- ↑ Public Private Partnership Private Partnership for Energy Production in NEW CALEDONIA, PECC Conference, November 2005
- ↑ Centrale électrique de Prony Energies, OEIL, accessed July 21, 2021
- ↑ Protests erupt in New Caledonia over proposed sale of major nickel plant, The Guardian, December 10, 2020
- ↑ Accord final de cession de l'usine de nickel du brésilien Vale, Le Figaro, March 31, 2021
- ↑ En Nouvelle-Calédonie, Tesla et l’électrique propulsent le nickel de Goro, Ouest France, December 10, 2021
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
