Contact, one of this country's largest power generators, had been using its Clutha hydro system and running the 400MW New Plymouth gas-fired station to compensate for the month-long shutdown of 354MW TCC plant for essential maintenance.
Company spokesman Pattrick Smellie said that having the Stratford TCC station back at full load meant Contact could meet its own generation requirements a little easier.
Meanwhile, the first tanker load of fuel oil arrived at Port Taranaki during the weekend as part of Contact's $NZ10 million plan to restore duel fuel capability to the aging New Plymouth station. Test firing of the station, which was originally designed to run on coal until the Maui gas field was discovered, on the distillate is expected to start next month.
Contact announced the duel-fuel restoration program earlier this year, primarily as a back-up during times of peak power demand and low hydro lake levels, as is happening this autumn-winter.
