Genesis chief executive Murray Jackson said the necessary resource consents, relating to noise and air emissions, would be needed before the open-cycle turbine, similar to an aircraft jet engine, would be installed.

Existing gas supply contracts would be sufficient to fuel the new turbine and Jackson said the new turbine would give Genesis staff some experience in the technology most suited for "embedded generation" - smaller power stations built closer to areas of high demand.

It would not delay the construction building and commissioning of the new 365MW combined-cycle gas turbine station, known as e3P, which was still expected to come into operation at Huntly in 2006.

Genesis has been importing coal from Queensland and Indonesia this winter to keep up its stockpile levels, now gas production from the faltering Maui field cannot be ramped up in times of peak winter demand.