AWARDS FINALIST: Fabian Hanik, Ngāwhā Generation

Fabian Hanik is assistant plant manager at Top Energy’s Ngāwhā Generation subsidiary, in the Far North. It operates a small fleet of power stations with a team of 14.

Hanik began his career at Ngāwhā power station in 2008 as an undergraduate, completing summer work experience during his Bachelor of Engineering degree at the University of Auckland. After one summer he was hooked on all things geothermal.

In 2011, he joined Contact Energy’s graduate development programme in Taupō, initially as a geothermal resources engineer and then a drilling and projects engineer, working alongside global leaders in geothermal energy.

He introduced a number of practices that went on to become standard procedure, as well as gaining an understanding of how a large geothermal electricity generator works across both operational and corporate business areas.

Station Three

In 2019, he moved back to NGL. It was an opportunity to return to the team that provided him with his first work experience, to give back to his community, and also to be part of the expansion of Ngāwhā’s third power station.

The commissioning of the plant in 2020 made the Far North a net exporter of electricity and enabled Top Energy to reduce distribution line charges by 23 per cent through consumer discounts, generate new cashflows from the sale of wholesale electricity, and protect Far North consumers from transmission price increases.

Unviable

The team at Ngāwhā is tight knit, so it was a shock when in 2021 the Climate Change Commission recommended NGL close by 2030, due to its high levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

Although these recommendations were later retracted, the increasing cost of carbon emissions under New Zealand’s emissions trading scheme would make NGL’s future unviable.

Hanik led his team on an in-house solution capturing 100 per cent of emissions from the power stations and reinjecting them back into the geothermal reservoir. Ngāwhā remained fully compliant and operational throughout.

The process saw Ngāwhā Station One become the first zero emissions power station in New Zealand. Station Two has also been converted, while Station Three is able to reinject 70 per cent of gases currently, with modifications to take it to 100 per cent due to be completed in September. This has not only saved the equivalent of 128,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum, it has also secured a future for NGL.

Achievement

Hanik is committed to Top Energy 's decarbonisation goals across the group, which is on track to be carbon zero by the end of 2023. He is also interested in, and actively working towards, New Zealand reaching its decarbonisation goals.

Ngāwhā Generation general manager Ray Robinson says Hanik’s combination of “technical expertise, outstanding leadership skills, and commitment to excellence” make him an invaluable asset to the firm.

Identifying a low-risk, low-cost means to transition Ngāwhā from being the highest emitter among the country’s geothermal stations – through non-condensable gas reinjection – is an achievement Hanik is incredibly proud of.

Top Energy Group is a smaller organisation, and Hanik has been responsible for end-to-end solutions, chief executive Russell Shaw notes.

“Leading the NCGR project, Fabian has needed to develop solutions from first principles and complete change management to ensure safe experimentation through to implementing a final solution.

“He has developed budgets, obtained business case approval, worked with an internal and external team and delivered outstanding results.”

The Young Energy Professional of the Year Award category is sponsored by Phoenix Metalman Recycling