Huntly power station

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Huntly power station is an operating power station of at least 1204-megawatts (MW) in Huntly, Waikato, New Zealand with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
Huntly power station	Huntly, Waikato, Waikato, New Zealand	-37.54447, 175.148805 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the power station.

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Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):

• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6: -37.54447, 175.148805

Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name	Status	Fuel(s)	Capacity (MW)	Technology	CHP	Start year	Retired year
1	Operating	coal: unknown, fossil gas: natural gas	250	subcritical	not found	1983	2035 (planned)
2	Operating	coal: unknown, fossil gas: natural gas	250	subcritical	not found	1983	2035 (planned)
3	Retired	coal: unknown, fossil gas: natural gas	250	subcritical	not found	1984	2012
4	Operating	coal: unknown, fossil gas: natural gas	250	subcritical	not found	1983	2035 (planned)
5	Operating	fossil gas: natural gas	403	combined cycle	not found	2007	2037 (planned)
6	Operating	fossil gas: natural gas, fossil liquids: diesel	51	gas turbine	not found	2004	2029 (planned)

CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name	Owner	Parent
1	Genesis Energy Ltd [100%]	Genesis Energy Ltd [100.0%]
2	Genesis Energy Ltd [100%]	Genesis Energy Ltd [100.0%]
3	Genesis Energy Ltd [100%]	Genesis Energy Ltd [100.0%]
4	Genesis Energy Ltd [100%]	Genesis Energy Ltd [100.0%]
5	Genesis Energy Ltd [100%]	Genesis Energy Ltd [100.0%]
6	Genesis Energy Ltd [100%]	Genesis Energy Ltd [100.0%]

Background

Huntly power station is New Zealand's largest thermal power station, and is owned and operated by Genesis Energy. It provides approximately 12% of New Zealand’s electricity generation.

In 2007, the power station comprised four coal fired 250 megawatt generating units (Units 1-4), a 403 megawatt high-efficiency combined cycle gas turbine unit (Unit 5) and a 51 megawatt open cycle gas turbine (Unit 6).

As of 2021, the original coal units were able to run on both natural gas and coal.

The station was planned for retirement in 2018, but that was extended to 2022, and then further to 2025.

In New Zealand's 2023 Energy Policy Review, it was stated that the plant would no longer use coal to generate electricity from 2025 onward - except in cases of emergency- and would stop burning coal entirely from 2030 onward. However, in May 2024, Genesis was reportedly ramping up coal imports to fuel the Huntly power station amid a dwindling gas supply. In a 2024 proposal for Huntly Firming Options, Genesis stated that the proposed offer would be backed by coal, with biomass as a potential future option.

Coal retirements

In December 2012, Genesis Energy placed one of the four Huntly Power Station 250 MW coal-burning units into long-term storage. In 2013, a second coal-fired generating unit was placed into storage, and was permanently retired in June 2015.

In August 2015 Genesis Energy announced that its last two 250 MW coal-burning units at the station (Units 3-4) will be permanently withdrawn from the market by December 2018, unless market conditions change significantly. Its coal supply contract with Solid Energy expires in June 2017. Electricity generation will continue at the Huntly site from the two existing gas-fueled units, the 400MW Unit 5, and the smaller 48 MW open cycle Unit 6.

In April 2016, Genesis Energy announced that the Huntly Power Station would continue operation of its two remaining coal / gas burning units until December 2022. The two gas turbine generators would continue to operate into the future. In February 2018 Genesis further softened its stance on closing its coal operations, with a new date of 2025 for the company to stop using coal, except in the case of energy shortages, and a date of 2030 to stop using coal entirely. "While it's all well and good that Genesis has made this announcement around its intentions, in reality the time to stop burning coal is now," said Green MP Gareth Hughes.

In October 2021, Genesis announced that it would conduct a biomass-burning trial in 2022.

In March 2022, Genesis conducted efficiency optimization tests on Unit 4. This involved running the unit on only gas for two weeks, followed by two weeks running only on coal. When discussing their 2022 fiscal performance, the company stated that the Huntly power station could act as a backup resource when hydro (which provides the majority of New Zealand's generating capacity) and other renewable resources are less available.

In June 2022, a briefing on the biomass conversion trial called the plan "highly unrealistic". While being technically feasible, the transition would be costly and unsustainable. In August 2022, the company cited that delays in the imported charcoal pellet supply chain were to blame for delays in a biomass trial at the Huntly power station. Genesis Energy's annual profits were allegedly up 600% in 2022.

In December 2022, Genesis reported that Huntly was operating at record low levels. The company's interim Chief Executive stated that a biomass trial would be run in early 2023, and monthly average greenhouse gas emissions were down by over 90%. With increased focus on renewable energy generation, the Huntly power station was seen as only a backup to wind, solar and hydroelectric energy alternatives.

Reporting in August 2023 quoted Genesis chief executive Malcolm Johns saying that "Huntly could still be burning coal for electricity during times of short supply in 10 years’ time, if not beyond then." This was in contrast to the company's previous commitment to entirely stop burning coal by the year 2030.

Biomass combustion trials

A February 2023 media release from Genesis said that in the trial, about 25% more biomass (black wood pellets) was needed compared to the coal mass needed to produce the same quantity of electricity.

In March 2023, it was reported that the station had just completed several "trials to demonstrate the technical viability for using 100% biomass as a renewable fuel option for the existing three Rankine units." The trials were done using "black torrefied wood pellets." At the time, it was reported that the trial was 'successful' insofar as the units were able to function for several hours burning only biomass, but that Genesis would continue to analyze the results of the trials over the following months, "including the critical issue of exploring the viability of a local and sustainable supply chain."

Proposed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)

In September 2024, TotalEnergies' subsidiary Saft announced that it had won a contract to develop a 100 MW/200 MWh BESS at the Huntly power station. According to the company, the BESS was expected to come online in 2026.

Coal supply

Genesis Energy states that its total coal consumption in 2007 was 1.9 million tonnes. Huntly Power Station sources the majority of its coal supplies from Solid Energy's nearby mines. In its 2007 annual report, Solid Energy states that it supplied 1.13 million tonnes to Genesis Energy for the power station, an increase of 181,000 tonnes on the previous year. In addition Solid Energy states that its "rail receival facility at Rotowaro handled 854,000 tonnes of Genesis’ Indonesian coal imports" which were either stockpiled or blended with our coals and delivered to Genesis’ conveyor system."

In its annual report, Genesis Energy states that the company has "contracted the development of the 11 million tonnes Awaroa 4 mine. Imported supply extends from the coalfields of Kalimantan, Indonesia..."

When running entirely on coal, the station could use over 3 million tonnes a year, some of which was imported through the Port of Tauranga.

In May 2024, Genesis was reportedly ramping up coal imports to account for a dwindling gas supply. The decision to increase coal imports was praised by New Zealand's Associate Energy and Resources Minister Shane Jones, who commented "we are going to rely increasingly on coal because of the uncertainty of gas." A May 2024 executive report by Genesis claimed that for its context, "coal is the most reliable fuel for providing certainty in times of shortage or in acute peaks" and confirmed that the Huntly power station dual-fuel units would continue to rely on coal as a baseline fuel. In October 2024, news confirmed that the power station was continuing to stockpile coal in preparation for winter with a stressed gas market.

Citizen Groups

• Greenpeace New Zealand

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datasets, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.