Story: Geothermal energy

More links and websites

• A brief history of the Wairākei geothermal power project

  This article by Ian A. Thain provides a succinct overview, with photographs, of the construction of the Wairākei power station.

• Domestic and commercial heating and bathing, Rotorua area

  An illustrated account by Ross Anderson of the present-day uses of geothermal energy in Rotorua.

• Geothermal greenhouses at Kawerau

  An article by Michael Dunstall and Brian Foster about the use of geothermal energy in cultivating greenhouse crops.

• Mighty River Power: lakes and power stations

  Details of the Rotokawa and Mōkai geothermal power stations.

• The plumbing of steam

  This article on the Techhistory site gives a detailed account of the challenges faced by scientists and engineers when designing and building a geothermal power station.

More suggestions and sources

• Meduna, Veronika. ‘How renewable is New Zealand?’ New Zealand Geographic 57 (2002): 18–38.
• Power from the earth: geothermal development in New Zealand. Wairākei: ECNZ Geothermal Group, 1994.
• The Rotorua geothermal field: technical report of the Geothermal Monitoring Programme, 1982–1985. Wellington: Oil and Gas Division, Ministry of Energy, 1985.