Top Energy is the consumer trust owned electricity lines network and power generator for the Far North.
He wāhanga nui tō mātou kia toitū ai i Te Taitokerau, ā, i Aotearoa whānui.
We have an important role to play in the sustainability journey of the Far North and New Zealand.
Sustainability is about more than carbon emissions.
A recent survey of staff, consumers and community stakeholders told us we need to also focus on waste reduction, cost reduction, enabling renewable energies such as solar and wind, and investing in energy hardship reduction initiatives. We’ve taken this on board and doing the mahi so we can report on our progress each year.
Reinjecting emissions at Ngāwhā Geothermal Power Station.
Unlike other geothermal power stations, where some CO2 is released up through the ground naturally, Ngāwhā has a cap rock which stops this from happening. This means the geothermal fluid pumped from the wells underground contains higher concentrations of CO2 than other power stations.
To reduce this, we’ve been trialling the reinjection of carbon emissions into the ground. The CO2 gas is dissolved back into the liquid, and because it’s no longer in gas form it doesn’t rise back toward the surface.
Our goal is to become net carbon zero by the end of 2025 through reinjecting emissions.
There is a raft of added benefits to reinjection such as returning the resource closer to its original state, significantly reducing our carbon credit spend and supporting the government’s decarbonisation goals.
We’re working hard to make electricity more affordable for our customers and committed to supplying clean energy to our community now, and for future generations to come.
To find out more about our sustainability journey, please read our Sustainability Report published on our website.