Ben Gibson heads to Whakatane

19 December 2011

GIBSON HEADS TO EXCITING NEW POSITION IN WHAKATANE

Eastland Group's commitment to extending its renewable energy portfolio takes another step this week with Ben Gibson taking up the new role of Te Ahi o Maui geothermal project manager in Whakatane.

The former general manager – commercial, has been Gisborne based for seven years and is looking forward to the exciting new challenges his new position offers.

Mr Gibson will be working closely with land owners Kawerau A8B Ahu Whenua Trust and the Hawaiian-based Innovations Development Group.

Gibson will oversee stage one of the geothermal project which involves consenting, procuring and constructing a 10-15 megawatt plant.

“That carries an expected capital cost of between $45-$60 million over the next two to three years,” he says.

There is plenty of work to be done before any new wells are dug or construction starts, but Mr Gibson says the company's due diligence puts them in a great position.

“This project, along with our existing geothermal capacity, will create significant base generation for the group.”

The Kawerau land already has on it the KD22 geothermal well, and is not far from the group's 9 megawatt geothermal power station.

Eastland Group is keen to be part of an exciting new direction for New Zealand, with the recent announcement from Government that they are aiming to have 90% of the nation's energy coming from renewable sources by 2025.

“We're most definitely going to be part of that.”