The Environmental Regulations

The Environmental regulations

Bridget Robson Geothermal Programme manager Bay of Plenty Regional Council In NZ law, water over 30oC is geothermal Geothermal energy is not owned Crown requires Regional Councils to manage the geothermal heat, fluid and surface features

• Allocation = sustainable • Manage effects on surface features

Resource Management Act 1991

2 Geothermal resource Why can’t I take geothermal fluid when and where I like?

Effects on surface features

Effects on other users

3 We sometime forget

World-wide and New Zealand wide These are rare and special

4 Geothermal systems are classified 1. Protection – surface features are too precious to allow any take 2. Rotorua – limits on fluid and heat, to restore many of the features 3. Conditional development – Some surface features, development must not seriously affect them

4. Development - few surface features 5. Small/warm systems

6. Research – don’t know enough to decide yet

Geothermal systems in the Bay of Plenty

Mayor I

B a y o f P l e n t y

Matakana I

Whakaari/White I Motiti I Taupo Volcanic Zone Tauranga PAPAMOA / MAKETU

Te Puke TIKITERE / RUAHINE MATATA Moutohora I TAHEKE Whakatane Lake Rotoiti MOKOIA I. Awakeri Rotorua Volcanic Centre ROTOMA / TIKORANGI Opotiki KAWERAU Rotorua Kawerau Pukehinau

ROTORUA ROTOMA / PUHI PUHI

ROTOKAWA Okataina Geothermal protection Volcanic Centre Manaohau WAIMANGU / TARAWERA / Level 1 ROTOMAHANA Level 2 Level 3 Murupara Level 4

Geothermal resources Geothermal field Geothermal area / prospect Hot water occurance

Geothermal resources

6 What limits are there?

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7 Rotorua exclusion zone – why? Geothermal systems work by transferring heat from deep, using fluid. Extracting fluid changes heat and fluid balances.

Fluid in Rotorua feeds the geysers. Taking a lot of fluid close to the geysers caused them to stop, and then clog up.

8 Rotorua Geothermal Features

• 1500 Surface features • In 3 main areas

9 Within a geothermal system how is the heat and fluid shared?

In Rotorua 160 people have consents to take fluid or heat

We need to understand what the overall effect is on: 1. the features, 2. the fluid level and 3. the heat of the system

10 Managing Rotorua Geothermal System

• Management involves: – Modelling of system based on total sum of energy and fluid take (mass balance approach) – Permits to take, reviewed every 10 years, volume and temperature measured annually – Monitoring of surface features and groundwater (live links with alarm systems) – Cross checks between modelling and monitoring

11 So what does this all mean for a consent holder?

We need to know what effect your take is likely to have on: • Surface features • Other users • How much resource is left for other people (adding up all the uses) We coordinate information and users with a System Management Plan

12 System management

Included in a System Management Plan • Monitoring • Processes (reporting, peer review panel) • Optimising the system (off-sets between production and injection locations)

13 Rotorua system management

14 Resource consents - large • Steps - Gather information to develop Assessment of Environment Effects (AEE) − Assess impacts on other users − Monitor effects and sustainability • Re-injection required for system pressure support • Developers liable for damage to surface features, effects of subsidence, hydrothermal eruptions…

15 Resource consents - small

• Steps − Gather information to develop Assessment of Environment Effects (AEE). The size of this is proportional to the size of your proposed take. − Assess impacts on other users − Monitoring effects • Re-injection generally required. Returning fluid back to the system, so it can support the system, heat up and be used again.

16 What will a resource consent include?

1. What its for = to take geothermal fluid & how much 2. Where the fluid comes from (take) and goes to (discharge) 3. Requirement to maintain the bore and keep records 4. Requirement to allow measurement on the bore and of the discharge 5. Details on why the consent would be reviewed or in Rotorua why you would have to reduce the take 6. How long the consent is valid for

17 The geothermal resource

• Can be in a delicate balance • We need to understand what changes might happen as a result of use • So we can decide whether those changes are acceptable, or not.