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Geofuture Te Mihi Power Station Generation Options Landscape And GEOFUTURE TE MIHI POWER STATION GENERATION OPTIONS LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL ASSESSMENT REPORT 2 Client: Contact Energy Project: GeoFuture No: 4322 Report: Te Mihi Generation Options Landscape and Visual Assessment Status: FINAL Date: 14 July 2021 Author: Brad Coombs Isthmus PO Box 90 366 Auckland 1142 +64 274 614 460 [email protected] No. Date Details Author QA 1 18/12/20 1st DRAFT Brad Coombs BP, MC, TR 2 28/06/21 2nd DRAFT Brad Coombs BP, MC, TR 3 09/07/21 3rd DRAFT Brad Coombs BP, VB, CR 4 14/07/21 FINAL Brad Coombs BP, MC 210714 4332 GeoFuture Te Mihi Generation Options Landscape and Visual Assessment 3 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................. 4 2 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................ 5 3 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................................................................ 7 4 EXISTING LANDSCAPE ............................................................................................................................................. 9 5 RELEVANT PLANNING PROVISIONS ................................................................................................................ 11 Waikato Regional Policy Statement / Te Tauāki Kaupapa here ā-Rohe ................................................... 11 Landscape and amenity values ............................................................................................................................................... 11 Geothermal ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 11 Taupō District Plan ........................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Geothermal Activity ......................................................................................................................................................................... 11 District Plan Environments ........................................................................................................................................................ 12 Rural Environment ............................................................................................................................................................................ 12 Industrial Environment ................................................................................................................................................................. 13 Landscape and Natural values................................................................................................................................................ 13 6 PROPOSAL .................................................................................................................................................................... 14 7 LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL EFFECTS ................................................................................................................16 8 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................................... 20 210714 4332 GeoFuture Te Mihi Generation Options Landscape and Visual Assessment 4 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 A 2008 Board of Inquiry (BOI) decision1 provided for the development of the Te Mihi Geothermal Development site at the head of the Wairākei Geothermal Valley. 1.2 The Te Mihi area has a working rural character, including the existing geothermal electricity development platform, pipeline(s) and electricity transmission lines. 1.3 The GeoFuture development proposals for the Te Mihi Geothermal Development site includes expansions of the existing steam turbine generation system (Options THI_1 and THI_2) or the development of a binary plant on a lower platform further to the east of the site (Option THI_3). 1.4 The THI_1 and THI_2 options for development on the Te Mihi Geothermal Development site include extension and expansion of an existing family of structures and buildings on the same platform. 1.5 Option THI_3 introduces a new type of geothermal electricity development on a different platform. 1.6 The development of Options THI_1 or THI_2 on the existing geothermal development platform (THI A) and expansion to the site to the east (THI B) would not have any adverse effects on the landscape character of the Te Mihi area. 1.7 The development of Option THI_3 would have very low, that is, less than minor, adverse effects on the landscape character of the Te Mihi area. 1.8 The development of Options THI_1 or THI_2 would have no adverse effects on the visual amenity of the Te Mihi area. 1.9 Development option THI_3 would not be visible from any public location close to the area and would have no adverse effects on the visual amenity of the location. 1.10 The 2008 Board of Inquiry Decision provides for additional generation capacity at the Te Mihi Geothermal Development site, which can be accommodated and extended through the development of Options THI_1, THI_2 or THI_3 without having any adverse effect on the visual amenity and a very low effect on landscape character, of Te Mihi. 1.11 The development of Option THI_1, THI_2 or THI_3 on the Te Mihi Geothermal Development platform would be consistent with the Regional and District Planning framework for geothermal development and Industrial and Rural landscape management in the Te Mihi area. 1 Final Report and Decision of the Board of Inquiry. Te Mihi Geothermal Power Station Proposal. September 2008. 210714 4332 GeoFuture Te Mihi Generation Options Landscape and Visual Assessment 5 2 INTRODUCTION 2.1 This Landscape and Visual Assessment report relates to part of a larger project that Contact Energy is embarking on, named the GeoFuture Project2 (GeoFuture) . GeoFuture is a multidimensional project that relates to the ongoing development and maintenance of wider Wairākei -Tauhara Geothermal System and includes four discrete components: 1. Modifying existing Te Mihi Power Station consents to enable additional plant capacity configuration options and technology choices. 2. Re-consenting reservoir related consents for the take, injection and some associated surface discharges of geothermal fluid. 3. A new small generation plant in close proximity to the existing Wairākei station, but not on the Wairākei A or B sites. 4. Re-consenting Wairākei A and B Power Stations to enable continued operations at reduced output for a finite period of up to 5 years from the expiry of the current consents up to 30 June 2031. 2.2 This report relates to the first component in the list above which, is part of GeoFuture and will be referred to in this report as the Te Mihi project. 2.3 In 2008, a BOI3 consented the Te Mihi Geothermal Power Station project and associated steamfield, transmission line and switchyard works. The BOI consent provided for the following components: . Three 78 MW Condensing Steam Turbine (CST) generators (total generation of up to 220MW) each with a dedicated cooling tower; . Construction of a new switchyard and rearrangement of an existing 220kV transmission line; and . Associated discharges to the land and the air shed. 2.4 Two of the three turbine generators have been constructed inside a new turbine hall. 2.5 The main physical components of the Te Mihi Geothermal Power Station project that were relevant in terms of landscape and visual effects were the earthworks for the main development platform, the turbine hall enclosing the steam turbines, the rows of the cooling towers, the switchyard and transmission line works4and steamfield components. 2.6 Contact Energy is now seeking land use consent from the Taupō District Council for the Te Mihi project to extend the existing Te Mihi Geothermal Power Station for three options. Either: A. Te Mihi Option 1. (THI_1) – Single large steam turbine on the existing, consented footprint, gross output up to 180MW; 2 GeoFuture Project – Wairākei Geothermal Field. AEE Project Description. Prepared by Contact Energy. 3 Final Report and Decision of the Board of Inquiry. Te Mihi Geothermal Power Station Proposal. September 2008. 4 From Oruanui Road and areas further to the west of the road. 210714 4332 GeoFuture Te Mihi Generation Options Landscape and Visual Assessment 6 B. Te Mihi Option 2. (THI_2) – Two smaller steam turbines, one on the existing, consented footprint and one further east, combined gross output up to 180MW; or C. Te Mihi Option 3. (THI_3) – Organic rankine cycle (binary) plant, consisting of up to four units located on a footprint to the east of the existing Te Mihi Power Station, gross output up to 165MW. 2.7 Option 1 – one additional turbine. This option would require the existing turbine hall to be extended to accommodate the additional turbine, leading to a longer turbine hall and an additional cooling tower. Much of this option is located within the Rural Environment zone of the Taupō District Plan, with a very small portion of the location within the Industrial Environment zone. 2.8 Option 2 – two additional turbines. This option would require an extension of the existing turbine hall (as currently consented)
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