Supercritical geothermal governance and technical teams

The project Governance group is chaired by former trade and climate change minister Hon. Tim Groser supported by a secretariat based within Kānoa – Regional Development & Investment Unit in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

The Governance group comprises governance experts with strong backgrounds in the energy sector, financing and Māori land development.

• Hon Tim Groser – chair
• Dr Keith Turner – former chair of Transpower
• Jason Hollingworth – Vector, Chief Financial Officer
• Dr Charlotte Severne – Te Tumu Paeroa, Māori Trustee

The Technical Design team are people with the experience and expertise to design the well, the equipment needs, and the steps to get us to the extreme depths needed to for this project. This multi-disciplinary team will lead work on regulatory approvals, design, risk assessment, geoscientific modelling, engineering, procurement, drilling and asset management.

• Robert J. Rankin – Mercury NZ, Project Director
• Mana Newton – Tauhara No. 2 Trust, Landowner Lead
• Isabelle Chamberfort – Earth Sciences NZ, Science Lead
• Ralph Winmill – Geode Ltd., Well Engineering Lead
• Dr. Paul Siratovich – Upflow, Geoscience Lead
• Andrew Marsh – Upflow, Geoscience Back-Up Lead
• Portia McKenzie – Kānoa /MBIE, Land and Consenting Lead
• Christina Diamond – Kānoa/MBIE, Iwi Engagement Lead

For enquiries about the project email kanoa@mbie.govt.nz.

An International Review Panel has been appointed to review the well design and project details and provide advice on latest international products and technologies. 

• Professor Roland N. Horne of Stanford University has been appointed as chair
• G.Ó. (Omar) Friðleifsson – Iceland Deep Drilling Project geologist
• Kristinn Ingason – Iceland Deep Drilling Project well engineer
• Dr Darrell Gallup – USA consultancy ThermoChem Inc. geochemist

Read the Minister’s announcement appointing the panel:

Deep geothermal project experts announced — Beehive.govt.nz