Following on from the presentation of project plans at the AGGAT team meeting in January (see last HERA News), the research leaders will be re-convening at an upcoming Technical Advisory Board meeting in early March to present proposals and establish the next steps for their projects. In summary form, they are described below: Mar272015 Technology…
Speakers are confirmed Ennio Macchi, Professor at Italy’s top engineering institution Politecnico di Milano Zhiqiang Guan, Senior research fellow with Queensland Geothermal Energy Centre of Excellence (QGECE) Nick Inskip, HERA General Manager Industry Development Boaz Habib, HERA Senior Research Engineer Mohammed Farid, Professor at University of Auckland Lei Chen, HERA Research Engineer Sadiq Zarrouk, Senior Lecturer at University of Auckland Holger…
For the first time in New Zealand, the Above Ground Geothermal and Allied Technologies (AGGAT) program will be presented on an international scale. The date and venue for this conference will be on the 30th April at the Sky City Convention Centre in Auckland. The Conference focuses on above ground geothermal engineering, with an emphasis…
Simon Bridges, MP for Tauranga and Minster for Energy and Resources, recently visited HERA member company BOP Gear Cutters Ltd at their Mt Maunganui operation where he toured the 650m2 purpose-built facility with Managing Director Bill Ross. A highlight of the tour was an opportunity to see a large wind turbine gear being worked on.…
Following the successful contract renewal of the Above Ground Geothermal and Allied Technologies (AGGAT) programme with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), the AGGAT Team research leaders kicked off the new year with a meeting to discuss project plans. The additional members in the group are primarily from the University of Auckland and…
Dec262014 The New Zealand Geothermal Workshop held in Auckland from 24 to 26 November. HERA Industry Development Senior Research Engineer Dr Boaz Habib recently attended the NZ Geothermal Workshop held in Auckland on 24th – 26th November. The conference was well-attended by the geothermal community and had international attendance from geothermally active countries such as…
At the New Zealand Geothermal Workshop held in November 2014, a number of well written papers were presented on various topics related to geothermal research. Among these, some of the best papers were selected based on the value of contributions made to their field of study. Among the prizes awarded was a HERA award for…
The AGGAT program is now getting re-shaped and refined for delivery of its outcomes in the next two years, with a specialist team of researchers being included from the University of Auckland to various research aims. What has been particularly exciting has been our use of the planning tool of cause and effect (Ishikawa or…
With the explosion of oil and gas exploration in the USA, demand for drilling steel and distribution pipeline has grown dramatically, and so too has the voice of domestic US steel suppliers as imports threaten closure of local mills. Some politicians are fighting back on behalf of industry and the employment it brings, such as…
The Above Ground Geothermal and Allied Technologies (AGGAT) science research programme initiated as a collaborative effort in October 2012 between NZ Universities, Heavy Engineering industry and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). The program recently went through its 2 year progress review, upon which MBIE will advise of its continuation of funding for the…