Welcome to the second issue of the NZ Battery Project E-news
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July 2021
Kia ora koutou
Welcome to the second issue of the NZ Battery Project E-news.
It’s been just over 6 months since the NZ Battery Project team was established, and we are making good progress investigating each of the 4 major areas of work:
- pumped hydro at Lake Onslow;
- other pumped hydro and hydro storage schemes in New Zealand;
- other types of solutions and technologies;
- interactions and implications that a solution would have on the electricity market.
NZ Battery Project – MBIE website
Technical Reference Group additional member
In June, chair of the Teviot Valley Community Board and fifth-generation farmer, Raymond Gunn was appointed as the ninth member of the Technical Reference Group.
Mr Gunn provides insight from a local community perspective, and reflects the views of the wider Teviot Valley community on the Lake Onslow pumped hydro option.
The TRG has had 2 meetings so far, with the next meeting scheduled for early August.
There may be additional appointments to the TRG in the future if there is a need for expertise in a particular field.
Field work at Lake OnslowAs part of our investigation of the Lake Onslow pumped hydro option, we need to understand the cultural, environmental, recreational, landscape and conservation values of the lake and surrounding area. In May, the Department of Conservation (DOC) undertook some initial freshwater fish values assessments in the area. NIWA staff were also in the area, assessing possible locations to install a meteorological station and buoy in the lake. Their work will help us to understand what’s driving the ecology of the lake and the fishery, and consider how these might be impacted by changes in climate, expanding the lake and fluctuating lake levels. Staff from the Cawthron Institute also began ecological assessments of the lake and surrounding tributaries. |
Scientist examining the water quality and interactions of lakebed sediments. |
DOC, NIWA and the Cawthron Institute were able to complete some preliminary work before winter conditions settled in – and hope to resume in spring.
A landscape architect has nearly completed a landscape values assessment. Their work began with an aerial survey that will feed into the wider assessment of values in the Lake Onslow basin.
A LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) survey gathered detailed elevation data of the area. This information will be publicly available via the Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) website later this year.
The project team will also ensure that assessments for the historic heritage values, Ngāi Tahu values and archaeological values are completed.
Lake Onslow option: engineering, geotechnical and environmental investigation
Last month we went out for tender on a significant piece of engineering, geotechnical and environmental work to identify, investigate and design the key aspects of a pumped hydro scheme at Lake Onslow.
This study – part desktop, part field work – will be integral for understanding the feasibility, possible design and configuration options for pumped hydro at Lake Onslow, and give a clearer insight into the cost, construction timeline and potential risks.
This tender was issued to the All-of-Government Construction Consultancy Services panel, and aligns with New Zealand government procurement guidelines.
The successful provider will work closely with environmental and social experts to ensure broader feasibility issues are considered.
Tender responses are currently being evaluated, and we expect to appoint the successful supplier in August.
Other pumped hydro and hydro storage schemes
We are in the early stages of exploring whether there are any realistic locations for alternative pumped hydro schemes in New Zealand. We are also exploring what role existing hydro generation could play.
We’re approaching this from both a top-down and a bottom-up approach.
NIWA is undertaking a GIS scan of the country to identify potential sites capable of storing at least 1000 GWh of energy in both the North and South Island. While many sites may be ruled out due to seismic, geotechnical, social, environmental or cultural reasons, it is important to ensure we are looking at all potential pumped hydro sites and not just one option.
We have also been engaging directly with generators to hear their ideas.
Other dry year solutions and technologies
The objective of the NZ Battery Project is to find a 100% renewable solution to New
Zealand’s dry year problem. That means in addition to investigating pumped hydro storage, we need to consider a wide range of approaches.
We have identified a range of alternatives including: ‘overbuilding’ renewable generation like wind and solar, large-scale load reduction, bioenergy, hydrogen or other green energy-based solutions. We’ve deliberately taken a broad approach to ensure all credible options are on the table.
We have tested our long-list of options with the NZ Battery Project’s TRG, as well as directly with targeted electricity industry participants. Based on their feedback we are currently refining our short-list of options for further study.
We will be procuring external expertise to help further assess the feasibility of these options in July and August.
How we’re procuring services
We follow the New Zealand government’s procurement guidelines when commissioning work. This means some smaller pieces of work can be procured directly. Others, like the geotechnical studies, require going out to market through the All-Of-Government panels of providers. Where relevant, we also seek advice from others such as mana whenua, and prioritise local services.
If you would like to get in touch with the team, please email us at nzbattery@mbie.govt.nz.
