Geothermal Institute
Our history
1940: New Zealand began to investigate its geothermal energy resource.
1958: Wairakei was the first plant in the world to generate electricity using a high-temperature wet steam geothermal system.
1979: First NZ Geothermal Workshop.
1979: The Geothermal Institute begins teaching.
1980: The majority of the 129 identified geothermal fields had been mapped.
1990: The New Zealand Geothermal Association (NZGA) was formed. The association has a scientific and educational focus with global reach.
2007: The Geothermal Institute launched the PG Certificate in Geothermal Energy Technology.
2011: The Geothermal Institute launched the Masters of Energy in Geothermal Energy.
2012: Geothermal New Zealand Inc. (GEONZ) is an industry association, established to support the export growth of geothermal organisations overseas.
2015: The World Geothermal Congress is hosted in Australia and New Zealand.
The current landscape
- Wairakei continues to provide the country’s most reliable source of electricity.
- 16.2% of annual national electricity generation is from geothermal resources (MBIE, 2014).
- New Zealand has achieved the greatest annual geothermal energy increase – 2200 GWH per annum, placing us 4th in the world for total generated energy (GWH).
- 23% of the worldwide increase of geothermal capacity occurred in New Zealand over the last five years.
- More than 1500 students have graduated from the Geothermal Institute, many of them holding senior positions in the geothermal industry around the world.
