Like many other renewable energy technologies, grid connected wave and tidal energy seems poised ready for the kind of global build-out we saw in wind, which will bring a range of market opportunities. There are also emerging niche marine energy opportunities which are disconnected from the wholesale price of a kilowatt of electricity which governs…
It is eight years since the global financial crisis (GFC) started and few would say things are ‘back to normal’. But most companies who survived have adjusted to the new normal of sluggish global growth, and in New Zealand’s case, marginal domestic growth. Looking back its obvious what happened: The GFC caused the purse strings…
In 2009 HERA put a proposal to Government to work with companies to transition them to being innovative and match fit for a competitive export market. While the proposal was not successful, HERA took up the challenge in establishing the Above Ground Geothermal and Allied Technologies (AGGAT) programme which is part funded by MBIE, and…
Our General Manager Structural Systems Dr Stephen Hicks and Finite Element Analyst Nandor Mago have published a peer-reviewed paper in the Journal of Constructional Steel Research. The paper investigates the fire performance of highly utilized and eccentrically loaded concrete filled composite columns with a slenderness greater than currently permitted for the simple calculation model in…
Dr Stephen Hicks has been working with Dr Farhad Aslani, Ryan Lloyd and Prof. Uy of the Centre for Infrastructure Engineering and Safety at the University of New South Wales, together with Dr Won-Hee Kang of Western Sydney University, on design rules for the flexural stiffness of composite columns for the forthcoming standard AS/NZS 2327.…
Being in New Zealand, it is easy to sometimes think that we are alone in the world – cut off from the mainstream and doing things our own way. And to some extent that is true, we are geographically isolated, we don’t have a multitude of large corporations driving innovation and pulling our smaller companies…
The AGGAT program underwent a major transition phase last year which saw HERA strengthen its relationship further with the University of Auckland and established key roles internally in turbine research and heat transfer research by the appointment of Dr. Lei Chen and Dr. Haiam Abbas within our team respectively. Since then the AGGAT programme has…
At the recent NZ Geothermal Workshop held in Taupo, Dr. Haiam Abbas, AGGAT Research Engineer won an award for best paper in Above Ground Technologies. The prize was awarded as this piece of work enhanced fundamental understanding of science and engineering principles in the context of existing above-ground technology. The paper titled ‘Development and Validation…
The NZ Geothermal Workshop, held in Taupo this year, had a higher attendance and number of presentations than in the past, and presented a very positive vibe for the geothermal industry overall. A number of delegates from the AGGAT team also attended this conference from both HERA and University of Auckland. The AGGAT team members…
Research aim 1-2 materials knowledge base research and 1-3 geothermal scaling and corrosion The AGGAT Materials Research Group has successfully completed a Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) Study on the Materials Test Rig scheduled to go onsite in December 2015. The meeting had all its key stakeholders present which was a very fruitful outcome, considering the complexity…
Following the establishment of the New Zealand National Group of the International Association of Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE), Structural Systems General Manager Dr Stephen Hicks attended the IABSE Conference in Geneva in September 2015. The conference objective was ‘Providing Solutions to Global Challenges’, which was underpinned by following global themes: Climate Change and the…
As previously reported, HERA took up Minister’s Joyce’s offer made at the re-opening of HERA House to investigate why industry funding from (heavy engineering research) levy-funded activities are not able to attract Government R&D funding support in the same way direct industry R&D money does. The main point of HERA’s letter was our concern that…