Our team combines a diverse range of skills and capabilities, and decades-long experience in the geothermal industry.
Explore this repository of selected research outputs, publications and reports from our team.
GRC2024 conference paper: In the Waiwhatu Project, we created five new kupu (words) in Te Reo (language) Māori (Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa New Zealand) relating to geothermal. In this GRC 2024 conference paper, we share the process for developing, testing and sharing the new kupu.
This GRC 2024 conference paper provides an actionable guide for indigenous groups on how to participate in geothermal projects, beginning with critical internal pre-work before engaging with developers.
This GRC2024 conference paper examines several avenues of abatement through gas capture and re-use, into applications including horticulture, green fuels and chemicals production, and industrial uses, as an added benefit of geothermal energy production.
Potential opportunities and benefits that can be enhanced at national and local levels throughout geothermal projects’ development and operation.
Project examples from Upflow - using geothermal innovation to address sustainable development goals.
Podcast Episode: Sustainability Leaders - Andy Blair in conversation.
NZ Geothermal Workshop 2023 - modelling what conditions need to be present, and to what extent it may be advantageous, to vary output from geothermal power plants in the New Zealand context.
Experiments characterizing the light-around times were carried out on an atmospheric annular combustor in which the dilatation ratio and the laminar flame speed was independently varied.
World Geothermal Congress 2023 - when time horizons are long and uncertainties are numerous, how do we communicate value, engage investors and industry, and influence government policies?
Journal paper evaluating the ability to produce sulfides by sulfur-reducing consortia in fixed-bed bioreactors using complex organic substrates.
Stanford Workshop 2023 - description of an optimal data collection schema to enable effective data-driven decision making in geothermal operations.
Stanford Workshop 2023 - using GOOML, real world application examples and future plans.
Final presentation for the US Department of Energy-funded Project: GOOML. Click on the link below to view the presentation.
NZ Geothermal Workshop 2022 - This paper overviews the current business venture arrangements of large geothermal operations, both electricity and process heat (geoheat).
GRC Transactions 2022 - using GOOML: interrogating a fictional plant within the GOOML framework, and reinforcement learning experiments.
This study outlines a variant of three-dimensional OH planar laser-induced fluorescence and its application in characterising a single bluff body stabilised flame inside a 12 burner annular combustor.
Standford Workshop 2022 - exploring GOOML model architecture and system set up.
Stanford Workshop 2022 - data curation processes for GOOML.
NZ Geothermal Workshop 2021 (abstract only) - What can we do to build trust and long-term mutually beneficial relationships? How we can be good partners?
World Geothermal Congress 2020+1 - introducing Geothermal Operational Optimization with Machine Learning (GOOML).
World Geothermal Congress 2020+1 - This paper discusses the development and implementation of initiatives that are strategically driving growth in direct geothermal use in New Zealand. We share our journey, ideas, successes and lessons learned.
WGC 2020+1 - This paper discusses the growth of WING from an idea to a global movement, including insight into the underpinning strategic considerations and philosophies.
Journal paper. Energies. Presenting GOOML: a new framework for Geothermal Operational Optimization with Machine Learning. It takes a hybrid data-driven thermodynamics approach, integrating digital twins into geothermal operations for significant improvements in operational efficiency.
WGC 2020+1 - Employment data from geothermal projects in New Zealand and Iceland.
World Geothermal Congress 2020+1 - The strategic approach of a small town in New Zealand to use its geothermal resources ... examples of projects, lessons learnt, approach, strategy and future aspirations.
World Geothermal Congress 2020+1 - New Zealand is underway to realise commercial value from the minerals in solution in geothermal waters. This paper provides updates, examples and experiences on this journey.
World Geothermal Congress 2020+1 - Aotearoa New Zealand is investigating its supercritical geothermal opportunity. To support this goal, a national supercritical strategy will be designed.
Blends of ammonia, hydrogen, and nitrogen can be optimized for gas turbine combustors to exhibit premixed, unstretched laminar flame properties very similar to those of methane. This work reports experimental measurements of the blow-out limits and behavior.
GRC Transactions 2021 - exploring the model architecture and system set up for GOOML
NZGW 2020 - The Geoheat Strategy for Aotearoa New Zealand 2017 – 2030 is a cross sector initiative working to increase the direct use of geothermal energy.
NZ Geothermal Workshop 2020 - This paper presents the current state of knowledge on New Zealand’s supercritical opportunity and outlines the intended strategic review of barriers and opportunities.
GRC Transactions 2020 - an intended strategy development process and engagement plan for supercritical geothermal energy in NZ.
GRC Transactions 2020 - introducing Geothermal Operational Optimization with Machine Learning (GOOML)
Journal paper. Geochemistry, Geophsysics and Geosystems. This study describes the results of thermal heating events lasting several hours on a “moderately altered” plagioclase‐clinochlore‐calcite‐quartz andesite and a “highly altered” plagioclase‐ clinozoisite‐quartz‐clinochlore andesite from the Rotokawa Geothermal Field, New Zealand.
NZ Geothermal Workshop 2018 - Geothermal is more than a simple substitute for other energy sources, it can change how people live for the better.
NZ Geothermal Workshop 2018 - The paper explores direct use prior to the Wairakei Power Development and the direct uses that have emerged in conjunction with or through the period of the Wairakei development.
Indonesia International Geothermal Convention 2018 - Introducing a mentoring program specifically for women in the Indonesian geothermal industry.
Mexican Geothermal Congress 2018 - Māori landowners with commercial shareholdings and ownership in geothermal projects have grown successful businesses with significant revenues/profits and reinvested in their people.
NZ Geothermal Workshop 2017 - investigating the effect of acid stimulation on Greywacke core to understanding how the reservoir rock may react to acid injection.
NZ Geothermal Workshop 2017 - this “Kissing Frogs” approach to the growth and attraction of foreign direct investment selects and rapidly tests potential options; pursuing limited strong probabilities rather than chasing many low- moderate possibilities.
NZ Geothermal Workshop 2017 - Are there other opportunities for geothermal tourism in New Zealand that could be developed? This paper compares examples of some alternate approaches to geothermal tourism in Iceland and Yellowstone National Park (USA).
The unsteady, visible, chemiluminescence fields of two non-axisymmetric, forced, laminar, premixed, propane–air flames are tomographically reconstructed using between 3 and 36 equally-spaced views.
Stanford Workshop 2017 - comparison of three methods used for monitoring injection capacity of injection wells over time.
Journal paper. Geothermics. This paper examines four phases of growth in direct use in NZ over the past 60+ years, and reviews some of the developments that have occurred.
World Geothermal Congress 2015 - overview of the methods used when preparing capacity evaluations and forecasts, and the lessons from developing three steam field models for different fields.
A biological method for producing sulfhydric acid from sulphur by means of a microbial consortium, wherein said method comprises at least the steps of: (a) growing a halophilic sulfur-reducing microbial consortium, (b) recirculating the culture medium of the bioreactor until a biofilm of the sulfur-reducing consortium forms over the supporting material of the bioreactor, (c) adding to the bioreactor, continuously or semi-continuously, a culture medium containing at least one suspension of at least one complex carbonaceous organic substrate, and (d) removing the effluent containing the sulfhydric acid from the bioreactor.
Journal Paper. Geothermal Energy. This study details the results of the physical property investigations on Rotokawa Andesite which hosts a significant geothermal reservoir.
World Geothermal Congress 2010 - Māori involvement in a major geothermal project.
