Milestone Achieved: New Zealand’s Newest Geothermal Power Station TOPP2 Successfully Synchronised to the National Grid
By: Robert Buluma
On 3 December 2025, a significant new chapter in Aotearoa New Zealand’s renewable energy story began when the 49 MW Te Onetapu Power Plant 2 (TOPP2) , the country’s newest geothermal station , was successfully synchronised to the national grid for the first time.
Located in the Kawerau geothermal field, TOPP2 is the result of a unique and groundbreaking partnership between Eastland Generation (a subsidiary of Eastland Group) and Ngāti Tūwharetoa Geothermal Assets Ltd, the commercial arm of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa Settlement Trust.
A True Partnership Success Story
This is not just another power station. TOPP2 represents one of the most successful examples of post-Treaty settlement iwi ownership and operation in the energy sector.
Ngāti Tūwharetoa Geothermal Assets supplies the geothermal steam and heat under a long-term agreement, while Eastland Generation developed, built and now operates the binary-cycle plant. When fully commissioned early in 2026, TOPP2 will become the largest of Eastland Generation’s four geothermal plants and the biggest single customer of Ngāti Tūwharetoa Geothermal Assets.
As Eastland Generation Chief Executive Alice Pettigrew said on the day:
“It was a big day for us all to have the megawatts flowing.”
Tūwharetoa Group CEO Robbie Watt was equally proud of what the project represents:
“The TOPP2 project has been a seven-year journey for Tūwharetoa mai i Kawerau ki te Tai to ensure the efficient and effective use of its geothermal resource to unlock future prosperity for its owners. This is a momentous example of a unique iwi-owned and operated entity showing the way forward.”
Why This Matters for New Zealand
Geothermal energy already provides around 20% of New Zealand’s electricity, and the Government has signalled its ambition to roughly double geothermal generation by 2040 as part of the transition to a highly renewable, resilient grid.
The successful synchronisation of TOPP2 is a concrete step toward that goal. Once fully operational, the plant will deliver enough clean, baseload renewable electricity to power approximately 50,000 average homes – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, regardless of wind or sunshine.
The Road Ahead
While the first synchronisation is a major milestone, the teams still have full commissioning and performance testing to complete before commercial operations begin. Full handover and commercial operation are expected early in the new year.
Congratulations to All Involved
Everyone associated with the project – from the owners, funders, engineers, contractors, and the many skilled workers on site – deserves enormous credit for delivering this complex project safely and on schedule.
This is what genuine partnership looks like. This is what the future of New Zealand energy can look like: iwi-led, community-focused, and 100% renewable.
Kia kaha to Eastland Generation, Ngāti Tūwharetoa Geothermal Assets, the Ormat team, and every contractor and worker who made TOPP2 a reality.
Source: Google
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