Other heat sources
Alumina smelting.
Pulp and paper processing.
New Zealand’s abundant geothermal resources also include some unconventional opportunities:
- exhaust sources from industry, such as water and steam discharged from thermal power generation plants
- waste heat from energy-intensive industries, such as aluminium smelting and pulp and paper manufacture
- heat extracted from the fluids produced from oil and gas wells (termed geothermal hydrocarbon coproduction)
- heat energy from disused hydrocarbon wells
- heated waters in flooded underground coal and mineral mines
- heat in underground aquifers in various parts of New Zealand that could be harnessed by well bore heat exchanger technology
- enhanced geothermal systems – creating permeability in hot, dry rock to harness heat for electricity generation