New Zealand, Philippines to join efforts in developing geothermal energy

A New Zealand government research institute is joining with a major Philippines energy company to work on geothermal energy developments.

The Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS Science) said Wednesday that it had signed a memorandum of understanding ( MoU) with Energy Development Corporation (EDC) on new research initiatives.

Areas where increased co-operation was likely included modelling of geothermal reservoirs, management of databases, and assessment of new geothermal fields in both countries, GNS Science geothermal department head Greg Bignall said in a statement.

EDC had indicated it would support GNS Science's bid to set up a regional research institute based at Taupo, in the North Island, that would draw funding and expertise from numerous countries and focus on geothermal development in New Zealand and throughout the Pacific.

Collaboration between the two organizations dated back to the 1970s and GNS Science specialists had been involved in the discovery and development of major fields in the Philippines that had helped to make the country into one of the world's top geothermal energy producers, Bignall said.

EDC is one of the largest geothermal companies in the world with 1,130 Megawatts of installed geothermal capacity. Endi